This popular tourist destination in Tamil Nadu is known for its cold climate and thousands of people throng the hills of Udhagamandalam or Ooty during the summer season. However, on April 28 and April 29, Ooty recorded its highest temperatures in the last 73 years.
According to S Balachandran of the Regional Meteorological Centre in Chennai, this rise in temperature is not specific to Ooty but to the whole country. “This temperature rise is not limited to Ooty, or even Tamil Nadu. Such an increase is being witnessed across the country. “The summer is very harsh this year. The changes in the environment over the years also lead to changes in the atmosphere. This could explain the high temperature. The overall rise in temperature across TN clearly signals the importance of protecting the environment by planting more trees and preventing deforestation,” he told media.
A tourist guide in Ooty also said, “We have never seen such heat in Ooty. If the temperature in Ooty also nears 30 degrees Celsius, which tourist will come here? We are worried about this development and we hope all stakeholders join hands to protect the environment.”
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that the previous highest April temperature recorded in Udhagamandalam was 28.5 degrees Celsius on April 29, 1986. In January, Udhagamandalam recorded 1 degree Celsius in the first week of January, the lowest in many decades. The rising temperatures in the Ooty hills have become a matter of concern for those living there and those visiting on holiday.
The IMD has also issued a yellow alert for heatwave conditions till May 3. “Heat wave conditions are likely to prevail at isolated pockets over north interior Tamil Nadu,” the IMD said on Monday, adding, “Due to humid air and high temperatures, hot and discomfort weather is very likely to prevail in isolated pockets over the rest of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal.”