Residents of Indore are experiencing a classic winter puzzle, with daytime warmth offering a brief respite from the chill, only for the cold to tighten its grip as the sun sets. The city's weather has been marked by sharp contrasts over the past few days, a pattern that is set to continue with forecasts predicting even colder conditions in the new year.
Day-Night Temperature Divide Widens
Sunday brought a noticeable rise in the day's maximum temperature, which settled at 27 degrees Celsius. This reading, while normal for the season, was over 3 degrees higher than Friday's maximum. The clear skies and strong sunlight made afternoon hours relatively comfortable, easing the intense cold felt earlier.
However, the relief was short-lived. As evening descended, chilly easterly and south-easterly winds, blowing at speeds up to 11 km per hour, brought back a sharp nip in the air. The minimum temperature recorded between night and early morning dropped to a biting 6.6 degrees Celsius. This is a significant 4 degrees below the normal minimum for this time, sustaining cold wave conditions despite being 0.4 degrees higher than the previous night.
IMD Forecast: Colder Days on the Horizon
Officials from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) have indicated that the night temperature may dip further over the next one or two days. While daytime temperatures are expected to hold steady for the next three to four days, a significant shift is anticipated as the New Year begins.
From January 2 or 3, the maximum temperature is likely to fall to around 24 degrees Celsius or even lower. This drop could lead to distinctly colder days and may even trigger 'cold day' conditions, where the maximum temperature falls significantly below normal.
"Cold wave conditions are likely to recur in parts of central and western Madhya Pradesh, including Indore, with no rainfall forecast in the immediate period," stated Arun Sharma, a Met scientist from IMD Bhopal.
Large-Scale Weather Systems at Play
The fluctuating conditions are driven by larger atmospheric patterns. Currently, a western disturbance is active as a trough in the mid-tropospheric westerlies at about 5.8 km above mean sea level. Simultaneously, a strong subtropical westerly jet stream with wind speeds of roughly 213 km per hour at 12.6 km height continues over northeast India. A fresh western disturbance is expected to affect the western Himalayan region from December 30.
The impact of the cold is not confined to Indore. Across Madhya Pradesh, dense fog was reported in districts like Datia, Bhind, and Gwalior. Moderate fog reduced visibility in northern districts including Panna, Chhatarpur, and Singrauli during the morning hours, affecting travel and daily routines.
As the year draws to a close, Indore braces for a classic winter phase where sunny afternoons will be a brief interlude in an otherwise cold spell, with residents advised to prepare for sharper chills in the first week of 2025.
