Freezing cold sweeps MP, fog covers several districts:Mercury falls to 2.7°C in Shahdol; train services disrupted across state

Madhya Pradesh continues to reel under severe cold wave conditions, with night temperatures dipping below 3°C in several areas and dense fog affecting large parts of the state during morning hours. The weather has disrupted daily life, particularly rail services, with over a dozen trains from Delhi to Madhya Pradesh running 2 to 6 hours late every day due to poor visibility. Shahdol’s Kalyanpur coldest at 2.7°C On Tuesday–Wednesday night, Kalyanpur in Shahdol district recorded the lowest temperature in the state at 2.7°C. Umaria followed at 3.9°C, while Rajgarh and Khajuraho recorded 4.5°C. Shivpuri recorded 5°C, Rewa 5.8°C, Malajkhand 6.1°C, Pachmarhi 6.2°C, Mandla 6.3°C, and Guna 6.4°C. In several districts including Sehore, Chhindwara, and Morena, dew drops on plants froze into ice due to the intense cold. Dense fog covers northern and central districts Dense fog was reported across much of northern Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday morning. Affected districts include Gwalior, Shivpuri, Sheopur, Morena, Bhind, Datia, Niwari, Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, Panna, Satna, Rewa, Mauganj, Sidhi, Singrauli, Maihar, Shahdol, Umaria, and Anuppur. Moderate fog was also observed in Bhopal, Indore, Raisen, Shajapur, Rajgarh, Sehore, and Dewas. Earlier on Wednesday, fog affected nearly half of the state, while cold wave conditions persisted in Shahdol and Umaria. Cold winds were also reported during daytime in Bhopal. Major cities see sharp drop in temperatures Among the state’s five major cities, Jabalpur recorded the lowest minimum temperature at 7.2°C, followed by Bhopal (8.4°C), Gwalior (8.7°C), Ujjain (10.5°C), and Indore (11°C). Night temperatures in most cities across the state remain below 10°C, indicating sustained cold wave conditions. Cold days persist in several districts Daytime temperatures also remained low in many districts, leading to cold day-like conditions. On Wednesday, Khajuraho recorded the lowest daytime temperature at 15.4°C, followed by Naugaon (15.5°C), Datia (16.1°C), Rewa (17°C), Tikamgarh (18°C), Gwalior (18.2°C), Sheopur (18.4°C), and Satna (19.5°C). A total of 17 cities recorded maximum temperatures below 24°C, including Pachmarhi, Guna, Sidhi, Damoh, Shivpuri, Malajkhand, Ratlam, Bhopal, Umaria, and Jabalpur. Severe cold to continue in January According to the Meteorological Department, intense cold conditions are expected to persist throughout January. The impact is likely to increase in the next 2–3 days as a Western Disturbance remains active over the Himalayas. Once it moves forward, melting snow and stronger icy winds will further intensify cold conditions across Madhya Pradesh. This winter has been exceptional for Madhya Pradesh. November recorded the coldest temperatures in 84 years, while December broke a 25-year record. January has also seen extreme cold, breaking Bhopal’s 10-year cold record, with experts noting sub-zero temperatures in parts of the state, accompanied by fog and cold wave conditions.