Red Alert in Ooty: All Tourist Spots Closed as Monsoon Batters Nilgiris

Red Alert in Ooty: Tourist Spots Closed Amid Heavy Rain

Tourist activities in the Nilgiris came to a sudden halt on Monday after a Red Alert was issued for the district amid heavy rainfall triggered by the Southwest Monsoon. The district administration ordered the closure of all major attractions in Ooty, Coonoor, and Kothagiri as a safety precaution.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported an extraordinary 35 cm of rainfall in Avalanche, followed by 30 cm in Upper Bhavani, within just 24 hours ending at 8:30 am on Monday. Other parts of Nilgiris and Coimbatore districts also received over 10 cm of rain during the same period.

Due to the severe weather, authorities restricted tourist entry into Nilgiris, leaving many vacationers stranded or forced to alter their plans. The IMD has forecasted that the downpour is likely to continue until at least May 28, with a possibility of extremely heavy rain in hilly regions and sporadic showers in the plains.

A red alert, indicating extremely heavy rainfall, has been issued for Nilgiris and the ghat areas of Coimbatore, while an orange alert is in place for Theni, Tenkasi, Tirunelveli (ghat areas), and Kanyakumari.

The relentless rain has already caused damage in the region. Since Sunday, 43 trees have been uprooted and four houses reported damaged, with minor landslides occurring in several interior localities.

Independent weather blogger K Srikanth noted that the monsoon surge over Peninsular India remains strong, bringing widespread heavy rainfall along the Western Ghats. He warned that parts of Nilgiris could continue to witness extreme rain conditions in the coming days.

Environmentalists have raised concerns as the Nilgiris—an ecologically sensitive zone—has been increasingly experiencing extreme weather events in both summer and winter. Experts attribute this pattern to the growing impact of climate change on the region's fragile ecosystem.