MP mercury dips below 4°C, Pachmarhi coldest in state:New Year to begin with severe cold wave, dense fog and icy winds expected across MP

The northern parts of Madhya Pradesh remain under a thick blanket of fog. Several districts across the Gwalior, Rewa, and Sagar–Jabalpur divisions witnessed dense fog again on Friday morning. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a fresh western disturbance will become active over the western Himalayan region on December 27. Its impact is expected to reach Madhya Pradesh within the next two to three days, intensifying the cold. As a result, the New Year is likely to begin with severe cold conditions across the state. Pachmarhi coldest as mercury slips below 4°C For the second consecutive night, temperatures in the state dropped below 4°C. Madhya Pradesh’s only hill station, Pachmarhi, recorded the lowest temperature at 3.6°C, after a further drop of 0.2 degrees. Dense fog was reported in several cities, including Khajuraho, Nowgaon, Mandla, Rewa, Satna, Bhopal, Datia, Guna, Gwalior, Indore, Ratlam, Ujjain, and Damoh. Trains affected due to fog Fog has significantly impacted rail traffic. Trains coming from Delhi to Bhopal, Ujjain, and Indore are running late. On Friday as well, similar disruptions continued. More than a dozen trains, including Malwa Express, Shatabdi Express, and Sachkhand Express, were delayed by 5 to 8 hours. Punjab Mail was also reported to be running over two hours late. Visibility drops to 200–500 metres The IMD reported dense fog in many districts on Friday morning, with visibility reduced to 200–500 metres at several locations, forcing motorists to keep headlights on even during early hours. Weather expert Arun Sharma said that while the intensity of fog may reduce in the next two to three days, the cold will persist. The weather is expected to remain dry for the next five days, with no rainfall forecast anywhere in the state. 25 cities record temperatures below 10°C A sharp drop of 2 to 4 degrees was recorded in several cities during Wednesday–Thursday night. At least 25 cities reported minimum temperatures below 10°C. Other notable minimum temperatures included: Day temperatures also remain low Cold conditions are persisting during the daytime as well. Malajkhand (Balaghat) recorded the lowest daytime temperature at 21.2°C, followed by Sidhi (22.2°C) and Datia (22.6°C). Western disturbance to intensify cold The Meteorological Department said that the upcoming western disturbance will further strengthen cold conditions in Madhya Pradesh. Cold northern winds are already prevailing, keeping daytime temperatures low in cities such as Indore, Rajgarh, Shajapur, and Bhopal. Jet stream adding to the chill A powerful jet stream is currently active over northern India. Flowing at an altitude of around 12.6 kilometres, it is moving at a speed of up to 260 kilometres per hour. According to weather experts, the jet stream is a major factor behind the intensified cold. When icy winds from the Himalayas combine with cold air from the northern plains and an active western disturbance, the cold intensifies significantly—exactly what is happening this season. Record-breaking cold in November and December This winter has already broken several records. In November, Bhopal experienced cold-wave conditions for 15 consecutive days, the highest since 1931. On November 17, Bhopal recorded a minimum temperature of 5.2°C, an all-time record for November. Indore also recorded its coldest night in 25 years at 6.4°C. In December, temperatures in both Bhopal and Indore have dropped close to or below historic lows. December–January: Peak cold months According to the Meteorological Department, December and January are the coldest months, much like July–August are peak monsoon months. During this period, cold northern winds and frequent western disturbances lead to sharp drops in temperature. Historical data from the past decade confirms this trend, with occasional “Mavtha” (winter rainfall) further intensifying the chill. Regions experiencing the harshest cold Big cities: December cold trends