Some parts of Nilgiris freeze as temperature dips to minus 2 degree Celsius

Chennai

Although frosting is an annual phenomenon that sets in during November and ends by December, the long delay by more than two months and its sudden onset now has come as a surprise to the residents and visitors.

“Frosting usually sets in by mid-November and concludes mostly by December. But this year, frosting began only on January 27, which is very unusual. Never before, such a low temperature has been recorded in January here,” said Shiva Subramaniam Samraj, Joint Director of Horticulture Department.

Popular tourist destination, Avalanche, which created history by recording maximum rainfall in Tamil Nadu in 2019, is now experiencing heavy frosting with the minimum temperature down to minus degree Celsius.

“For the past two days, Avalanche, Upper Bhavani, and Emerald areas have been recording a minimum temperature of minus two degree Celsius. Over the last one month, the average minimum temperature hovered between six and seven degree Celsius,” said another official.

The Government Botanical Garden (GBG) recorded a minimum temperature of 3 degree Celsius on Wednesday night and 3.3 degree Celsius on Thursday, which is also likely to be the lowest of this season in the spot and in the month of January over the last few years. In view of heavy frosting, the horticulture department has taken special efforts to prevent the flowering plants from getting dried up in the sprawling garden. “To prevent flowers from withering away and plants getting dried up, they were being covered with plastic covers and dry brooms to protect from frost,” said Shiva Subramaniam Samraj. The delay in onset of frosting has also left tea growers worried as they weren’t prepared for the sudden seasonal change.

“By this time, the tea gardens used to be flush with regeneration of new buds. But the delayed onset of frosting may push the re-growth pattern of the tea plantations further by a few weeks,” said B Natarajan, a tea grower from Avalanche. There are about 45,000 hectares of land under tea cultivation in The Nilgiris providing direct employment to more than three lakh people.