Ooty Monsoon – July
Udhagamandalam: Heavy rain, gusty wind, and bitter chillness in the past few days have marked the intensification of the southwest monsoon in Ooty, Kundha, and Gudalur taluks of the Nilgiris district.
The continuous rainfall in catchment areas in this ooty monsoon has increased the water level in Avalanchi, Upper Bhavani, and Emerald dams.Besides, normal life is affected, owing to the chilling cold.The maximum temperature recorded on Monday was 14 degrees Celsius.
However, major damages were not reported from any part of the district. After the failure of the monsoon last year, a revival of the southwest monsoon this year has been welcomed by all, despite the hardships.
Over the past few days, farm activities have come to a halt due to the continuous rainfall. However, the farmers hoped that the weather would continue to be farm-friendly.
During the 24 hours ending 8.30am on Monday, Ooty recorded 22.60mm of rainfall; Avalanche 64mm; Devala 72mm; Gudalur 46mm; Naduvattam 54mm; and Emerald 32mm. Pandalur and Cherangode received 56 and 62 mm of rainfall, respectively.
The wet weather has subjected tourists to considerable inconvenience.Madhavan, a tourist from Chennai said, “Thick mist along the ghat section of the road between Burliar and Ooty gave us a difficult time to navigate through the hairpin bends.
”With heavy mist forming in the evening, motorists find it difficult to navigate on the ghat roads, especially on the Kotagiri-Ooty Road.According to the district administration, disaster management machinery is in place and all government departments have been alerted in this regard.
Personal safety tips:
Proper footwear, clothing, and other gear are needed to hike safely, and it’s important to avoid trails when severe weather may happen.Avoid standing water as it may be electrically charged from underground or downed power lines. Watch the video in the player below for more electrical safety tips:
What to do if a powerline falls over during a monsoon stormBe mindful of the potential health risks of playing, wading and swimming in collected stormwater. Runoff from monsoons can pick up pollutants that can be harmful to your skin, eyes and ears. Familiarize yourself with local emergency plans. Know where to go and how to get there should you need to get to higher ground, the highest level of a building, or to evacuate.
Rain-hit Gudalur, Pandalur get back to normal
Udhagamandalam: Gudalur and Pandalur taluks in the Nilgiris district returned to normalcy on Tuesday, following heavy rain-triggered landslips, tree falls, and flash floods since June 28.According to a press release from Nilgiris collector M Aruna on Tuesday, a landslide on a state highway near Uppatti in Gudalur taluk damaged a four-wheeler and two people inside the car suffered injuries.
Seven houses in Gudalur and two in Pandalur were partially damaged in the rain. Due to a flash flood in the Moonanadu River, four families residing close to the banks of the river were shifted to Ambalamoola relief camp. Eight families were moved to a nearby relief camp at Ponnani.
All relief measures, including daily essentials, were supplied to the people in the camps. Officials are monitoring the vulnerable areas in Gudalur and Pandalur taluks, the release said.Tamil Nadu tourism minister K Ramachandran and Aruna visited the camps and interacted with the inmates.
The district administration also appealed to the public to shift to nearby relief camps in case of heavy rainfall.Tamil Nadu Disaster Response Force teams are stationed in Ooty, Coonoor, and Gudalur taluks as part of disaster management measures, the release added.A sum of ₹8,000 each was distributed to the families whose houses were partially damaged.Currently, 15 families are accommodated in flood relief camps in four different places. It is reported that 26 houses were partially damaged in the rain in the district.