THE winter chill deepened across the State on Tuesday as temperatures dipped sharply, with Rajgarh recording a minimum of 2 degrees Celsius, the lowest in the State and the first time this winter season that the mercury has fallen to this level. Bhopal also reeled under intense cold conditions, recording a minimum temperature of 3.8 degrees Celsius, accompanied by dense fog, in the early morning hours. Large parts of the State remained dry over the past 24 hours, but cold wave and cold day conditions prevailed in several districts.

 

Bhopal and Rajgarh experienced severe cold wave conditions, while Girvar in Shajapur district witnessed a severe cold day. Cold wave conditions were also reported from Sehore, Mandsaur, Seoni and Kalyanpur in Shahdol district. Fog emerged as a major concern, severely affecting visibility across northern and central Madhya Pradesh. Datia reported very dense fog, with visibility dropping to as low as 50 metres, disrupting early morning movement. In Bhopal, visibility lingered between 500 and 1,000 metres due to moderate to dense fog.

 

Dense fog was also observed in Gwalior, Rajgarh and Khajuraho, while moderate fog covered several districts including Jabalpur, Vidisha and Raisen. Day temperatures showed a mixed trend. Maximum temperatures rose slightly in parts of Bhopal and Ujjain divisions, but remained well below normal across most of the State. The highest maximum temperature was recorded at Raisen at 26.8 degrees Celsius, while some areas such as Morena and Girvar saw daytime temperatures stuck below 17 degrees, reinforcing cold day conditions.

 

The India Meteorological Department has warned that dense to very dense fog conditions are likely to persist at isolated places over the coming days, with fog-related advisories expected to remain relevant for nearly the next 7 days. Commuters have been advised to exercise caution during late night and early morning hours due to reduced visibility.

 

Meteorologists attribute the ongoing cold and foggy conditions to a western disturbance persisting as a cyclonic circulation over north Pakistan, along with the continued influence of a strong subtropical westerly jet stream over northwest India. These systems are allowing cold air to sweep into the region, intensifying winter conditions across the State.

 

For now, there is no major change expected in temperatures over the next 24 hours, though a gradual rise of 2 to 3 degrees Celsius is likely thereafter. In Bhopal, the sky is expected to remain clear, but fog will continue to dominate morning hours, keeping the city firmly in winter’s grip