Residents of Bhopal woke up to a piercingly cold morning on Monday, with the mercury plunging to a chilling 6.8 degrees Celsius. The day offered little warmth, as the maximum temperature also stayed significantly below normal, settling at 18.4°C. Icy winds and a thick blanket of fog disrupted normal life, prompting the state government to extend winter vacations for schools across multiple districts.
Widespread Fog and Plummeting Temperatures
The regional meteorological office reported dangerously low visibility across northern and eastern Madhya Pradesh. At 8:30 am, visibility ranged between a mere 50 and 200 metres in several cities including Gwalior, Datia, Bhind, Morena, Rewa, Satna, Panna, Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, and Niwari. This widespread fog highlighted the intensity of the weather system affecting the state.
In the capital, Bhopal, the fog that set in on Sunday night persisted until late afternoon on Monday. The minimum temperature was nearly 4 degrees lower than the previous night, intensifying the cold spell. The weather remained dry across all divisions, but cold wave conditions prevailed in Shahdol. Several districts, including Bhopal, Sehore, Khandwa, Ratlam, Ujjain, Tikamgarh, and Datia, experienced cold day conditions, while Rajgarh and Vidisha recorded severe cold day conditions.
Government Response and Disruption
With the severe cold showing no signs of relenting, the state government took proactive measures to protect children. Extended winter breaks have been declared for schools in at least 19 districts. In other districts, including Bhopal, school timings have been altered to spare students from the bitter cold during early morning hours.
The dense fog severely hampered road and rail commutes, making travel hazardous. The combination of low visibility and biting cold kept many residents indoors, affecting daily routines and business activities.
Forecast: No Respite for the Next Three Days
The meteorological department has forecast that the dense fog and severe cold wave are likely to persist across large parts of Madhya Pradesh for the next three days. Fog is expected to continue affecting visibility during morning hours.
On Tuesday, dense fog is likely at isolated places in Gwalior, Datia, Bhind, Sidhi, Rewa, Mauganj, Satna, Panna, Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, and Niwari. Moderate fog is forecast for parts of Bhopal, Vidisha, Raisen, Sehore, Narmadapuram, Indore, Ujjain, Dewas, Guna, Sagar, and Maihar.
On Wednesday, moderate fog is predicted in isolated places across Vidisha, Guna, Ashoknagar, Shivpuri, Gwalior, Datia, Bhind, Morena, Sheopur, Singrauli, Sidhi, Rewa, Mauganj, Satna, Anuppur, Shahdol, Umaria, Dindori, Katni, Jabalpur, and Maihar.
On Thursday, similar conditions are expected in Gwalior, Datia, Bhind, Morena, Singrauli, Sidhi, Rewa, Mauganj, Satna, Shahdol, Umaria, Panna, Damoh, Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, Niwari, and Maihar. The Met office has advised citizens to take necessary precautions while venturing out and to stay updated with the latest weather bulletins.
