Residents of Madhya Pradesh can expect a slight reprieve from the biting cold as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts a gradual rise in temperatures across the state over the coming days. However, the winter chill is far from over, with cold wave conditions likely to persist in several areas and a fog alert issued for a dozen districts.
Gradual Warming Trend on the Horizon
According to the latest bulletin issued by Met officials on Monday, temperatures across Madhya Pradesh are set to increase gradually by around 2 degrees Celsius over the next four days. This change is attributed to the weakening influence of recent western disturbances, which is resulting in clearer skies and stronger sunshine during the daytime.
This warming trend will be felt in cities like Indore, which, after experiencing several days of low temperatures and significant day-night variation, is poised to witness a steady climb in both day and night readings. The weather remained dry across all divisions of the state in the last 24 hours.
Persistent Cold and Widespread Fog Alert
Despite the predicted rise, winter's grip remains firm. The IMD has warned of moderate fog in at least 12 districts on Tuesday. The districts under the fog alert are:
- Bhind
- Gwalior
- Datia
- Niwari
- Tikamgarh
- Chhatarpur
- Panna
- Satna
- Rewa
- Mauganj
- Sidhi
- Singrauli
Furthermore, cold wave conditions may prevail at isolated places in Bhopal, Sehore, Rajgarh, Indore, Dewas, and Shajapur districts. The impact of the cold wave was already recorded in parts of Bhopal, Rajgarh, Indore, and Shahdol districts in the past day.
Temperature Variations Across Divisions
The IMD's data reveals a mixed picture of temperature patterns. While no significant change was observed in maximum temperatures in any division, they remained below normal by 1.6°C to 2.6°C in districts of Rewa and Shahdol divisions. In other areas, maximum temperatures stayed near normal levels.
The story for minimum temperatures is more varied. There was an appreciable rise of about 3.2 degrees Celsius in districts of the Rewa division, with no major change recorded elsewhere. Despite this increase, minimum temperatures continued to remain significantly below normal—appreciably below normal by 3.7°C in districts of Bhopal division and below normal by 1.6°C to 1.7°C in districts of Indore, Jabalpur, and Sagar divisions.
Forecast for the State Capital
For Bhopal, the state capital, Met officials predict fog in the morning hours. The city is likely to see minimum and maximum temperatures hovering around 6 degrees Celsius and 26 degrees Celsius, respectively. On Monday, Bhopal recorded a maximum temperature of 27.2°C, nearly a degree higher than Sunday's 26.3°C. The minimum temperature settled at 5.6°C during the intervening night of Sunday and Monday.
As the weather undergoes this transition, authorities advise citizens, especially in the alerted districts, to exercise caution while traveling early in the morning due to reduced visibility from fog and to continue taking necessary precautions against the cold.
