Tamil Nadu Weather: Kodaikanal Shivers at 4°C, Records One of Its Coldest January Nights

Kodaikanal shivered through one of its coldest January nights in recorded history, with the hill station registering a minimum temperature of just 4.0°C, according to the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC). The reading marked the lowest minimum temperature recorded in the hill regions of Tamil Nadu in the last 24 hours and underlined the intensity of this year's winter spell across the State.

Weather blogger R Pradeep John, popularly known for his detailed climate observations, described the day as a significant milestone for Kodaikanal's winter records. "Kodaikanal frosts at 4°C. This is the 10th coldest January day ever for Kodaikanal," he noted, adding that the State is witnessing one of its better winter seasons in many years.

Sharing historical data, Pradeep John pointed out that Kodaikanal has experienced some remarkably cold January days in the past, with the all-time lowest minimum temperature being 0.6°C on January 5, 2003. Other notable cold days include 2.7°C recorded on January 7, 1976, and 2.8°C on January 22, 1965. Interestingly, this year has already made its presence felt in the records, with temperatures dropping to 3.4°C earlier this month and now touching 4.0°C again, placing January 2026 among the coldest Januarys for the hill town.

The chill was not limited to Kodaikanal alone. Several other hill stations across South India also experienced low temperatures. Ooty recorded a minimum of 5.2°C, while Arakku registered 8.0°C. Coonoor followed closely at 8.4°C, with Vattavada in Idukki district recording 8.5°C. Valparai saw temperatures dip to 9.0°C, Yercaud to 10.0°C, and Chikmagalur and Hassan recorded minimums of 11.4°C and 11.8°C respectively.

Meanwhile, the RMC noted that there was no significant change in minimum temperatures across Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal over the past 24 hours. However, minimum temperatures were observed to be 2-3°C below normal at isolated places across the region. In contrast to the cold conditions in the hills, Erode recorded the highest maximum temperature in the State at 33.4°C, highlighting the sharp contrast between hill stations and the plains. Dharmapuri recorded the lowest minimum temperature among the plains at 16.5°C.

On the synoptic front, meteorologists reported the presence of an upper air cyclonic circulation over the southeast Arabian Sea and adjoining Lakshadweep region at about 0.9 km above mean sea level. The upper air cyclonic circulation that was earlier present over the southeast Bay of Bengal has weakened and become less marked.