Four fishermen from Nagapattinam district faced a harrowing four-hour struggle in turbulent waters off Kodiyakkarai after their boat capsized on tuesday.Sources said R Ragu, R Anbarasan, S Prasanna, and D Muthuvel all from Nambiyar Nagar in Kodiyakkarai, set out into sea in a motorized fiberglass reinforced plastic boat owned by Ragu’s father in the early hours on monday.

Intense dewfall over the past few days has caused concern among farmers across parts of Nagapattinam district, as samba and thaladi paddy crops enter the crucial flowering and panicle formation stage.Following a brief lull in rainfall, cold conditions have intensified, leading to heavy dew formation, particularly during late night and early morning hours. Farmers from villages in the Kilvelur taluk, including Kollapadu, Velliyalam, Sattiyakudi, Ettukudi, Keelayur, and Thirupoondi, said the cold was harsher than usual this time of the season. “The crop is at a sensitive stage now. Prolonged dew and chilly weather can affect grain setting and reduce yields,” said R. Sathyan, a farmer from Kilvelur. Crops already weakened by earlier weather fluctuations were at greater risk, he added.