COIMBATORE: A gradual decline in temperatures over a week and a few days since frosting made a delayed arrival, popular tourist destination Ooty plummeted to zero degree on Friday.

“The Government Botanical Garden (GBG), which recorded a minimum temperature of five degrees Celsius on Tuesday, dipped further to zero degree Celsius on Friday. There is a possibility that temperature may have dropped to sub-zero levels in some outer areas like Avalanche,” said an official.

Although frosting, an annual phenomenon, commenced late (by the third week of November), its impact faded soon due to heavy rains brought by cyclone Fengal. As the temperature dropped to zero degree Celsius, a thick layer of frost has blanketed the sprawling GBG garden, offering a thrilling experience to tourists.

While heavy frosting forced people to confine themselves indoors, tea plantation farmers expressed apprehensions that tea leaves would wither away in extreme cold.

“The drop in temperature has hit normal life, and labourers employed in tea plantations are unable to work in the mornings due to biting cold,” said V Manikandan, a farmer.