Madhya Pradesh is shrouded in dense fog even as night-time cold slightly eases. On Friday, some regions saw thick fog while others experienced moderate coverage. Daytime temperatures remained below 24°C in 15 cities, and northern districts are expected to stay fog-bound on Saturday morning. The Meteorological Department has warned that dense fog will persist for the next three days, followed by a spell of intense cold. Senior meteorologist Dr Divya E. Surendran noted that December passed without any rainfall across the state, with clear skies prevailing. Several districts, including Bhopal and Indore, experienced a cold wave lasting 15–16 days—a pattern expected to continue in January. Light showers were recorded in Gwalior on the first day of the year, with Bhopal and Indore likely to see rain soon. According to the Meteorological Department, the cold wave could last 15–20 days in January, intensifying from the second week and continuing until month-end. Fog blankets Bhopal, Sehore, and Mandu Bhopal remained foggy even after 9 am on Saturday, with the cold wave continuing. In Sehore, the season’s densest fog has limited visibility to 20 metres, and frost has settled on spider webs along trees and plants. In Mandu, Dhar district, fog shrouded historic sites, including the Hoshang Shah Palace, with the minimum temperature dropping to 8°C on the first cold wave day of 2026. Transport disrupted, visibility low across major cities Trains heading to Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, and Gwalior were delayed by up to two hours on Friday due to dense fog. Visibility in Khajuraho dropped below 50 metres, while several districts, including Bhopal, Datia, Gwalior, Ratlam, Rewa, Sagar, Satna, Guna, Indore, Raisen, Rajgarh, Ujjain, and Mandla, experienced poor visibility. Daytime temperatures have remained unusually low, with maximums ranging between 16.8°C in Datia to 23.6°C in Bhopal and Sidhi, creating “cold day” conditions for the first time this winter. Weather outlook Fog alerts remain in effect for January 4 in Gwalior, Shivpuri, Datia, Bhind, Morena, Shyopur, Rewa, Mauganj, Satna, Panna, Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, Niwari, Maihar, Singrauli, Sidhi, Shahdol, and Umaria. On January 5, fog will continue to affect Gwalior, Chambal, Sagar, Rewa, and Shahdol divisions. Record-breaking cold November and December in Madhya Pradesh set new cold records, with November experiencing the coldest temperatures in 84 years and December breaking a 25-year record. Meteorologists predict January will bring severe cold, dense fog, and continued cold waves. Why the cold is intensifying Cold winds from the north, snowfall in hilly states, and active western disturbances are contributing to the cold wave. The jet stream—a high-speed air current 12.6 km above ground—has reached speeds of up to 285 km/h, increasing wind chill across northern India and Madhya Pradesh. These systems, combined with fog, cold waves, and chilly days, have doubled the cold effect this year. January special: severe winter trend December and January are traditionally the coldest months, as cold northern winds and western disturbances lower temperatures significantly. Historical data shows repeated cold waves and occasional winter rainfall during this period across major districts. Historic temperatures Post navigation Action against officials after 15 deaths in contaminated water case:Indore Municipal Commissioner removed, two suspended; 3 new additional commissioners appointed Late-night violence erupts over abusive language outside hotel in Jabalpur:Row draws hundreds from Jain community forcing police to use lathi
