Dense fog grips Gwalior-Chambal, days and nights cold:Icy winds persist for 4 days as temperatures in Indore and Bhopal remain below 10 degrees

After fresh snowfall in the hill regions, icy winds sweeping across the plains have intensified winter conditions in Madhya Pradesh. The Gwalior–Chambal division is witnessing the harshest impact, with cold conditions prevailing both day and night. Dense fog blanketed the region on Monday morning, accompanied by biting winds, and similar weather is expected to continue for the next four days.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperatures in Bhopal and Indore are likely to remain below 10°C. Gwalior-Chambal worst affected due to geographic position According to the Meteorological Department, the Gwalior-Chambal region lies in the northernmost part of the state, making it more vulnerable to cold waves. Districts including Gwalior, Bhind, Morena, Sheopur and Datia are experiencing the sharpest drop in temperatures.
On Sunday, daytime temperatures were recorded at 21.5°C in Gwalior, 20.1°C in Datia and 21.4°C in Sheopur, while night temperatures dipped below 10°C. Severe cold conditions are expected to persist in these districts over the next four days, while other regions may get slight relief. Dense fog in northern districts Dense fog was once again observed on Monday morning across northern Madhya Pradesh, particularly in Gwalior, Bhind, Morena and Sheopur. Moderate fog was reported in over 20 districts, including Bhopal, Indore, Guna, Ashoknagar, Shivpuri, Datia, Niwari, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Raisen, Shajapur, Vidisha, Ujjain and several others. Kalyanpur coldest, Pachmarhi second The cold spell continues across the state. During the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, Kalyanpur in Shahdol district recorded the lowest temperature at 4.8°C. Pachmarhi, the state’s only hill station, was the second coldest at 5.8°C.
Among the five major cities, Indore recorded the lowest minimum temperature at 7°C. Dense fog in more than 20 districts has disrupted rail services, particularly trains arriving from Delhi. Over 20 cities record temperatures below 10°C The Meteorological Department reported minimum temperatures below 10°C in cities including Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Pachmarhi, Khajuraho, Nowgong, Mandla, Umaria, Rewa, Rajgarh, Raisen, Datia, Malajkhand, Damoh, Satna, Chhindwara, Khandwa, Sidhi, Khargone and Tikamgarh.
On Sunday, most cities recorded daytime temperatures below 25°C. Both maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to remain at similar levels over the next four days. Trains running late for over 15 days Severe cold and persistent fog since the New Year have affected rail traffic in the state. Trains from Delhi to Bhopal, Indore and Ujjain are running behind schedule, with the Malwa Express being the worst affected. Meteorologist Arun Sharma said fog conditions will remain more intense in the northern parts of the state. Record-breaking winter this season This winter has broken several records in Madhya Pradesh. November saw the coldest conditions in 84 years, while December broke a 25-year record. January has continued the trend with severe cold waves.
In Bhopal, a 10-year cold record has been broken. Experts note that “minus-level” cold conditions have already been observed in parts of the state, accompanied by dense fog and cold winds. Why January is crucial for cold weather According to meteorologists, just as July and August account for over 60% of monsoon rainfall, December and January are the key months for severe winter. During this period, cold northern winds frequently enter the state, leading to a sharp drop in temperatures.
Data from the past decade supports this trend. With the activation of western disturbances, January often brings light winter rain (mawtha). Cloud cover was observed even on the first day of this year. January cold records in major MP cities 1. Bhopal: Temperature once fell to 0.6°C Bhopal experiences extreme cold in January, along with occasional warmth during the day and rainfall. On January 18, 1935, the night temperature dropped to a record 0.6°C, while on January 26, 2009, daytime temperatures touched 33°C.
Rainfall has occurred in 7 of the last 10 years, with the highest 24-hour rainfall of 2 inches recorded on January 6, 2004. 2. Indore: Mercury once plunged to –1.1°C Indore holds a rare sub-zero January record. On January 16, 1935, the temperature fell to –1.1°C, the lowest ever recorded. The highest daytime temperature was 33.9°C on January 27, 1990.
The city also saw over 3 inches of rain in 24 hours on January 6, 1920. 3. Jabalpur: Record low of 1.1°C in 1946 January is the coldest month in Jabalpur. On January 7, 1946, the minimum temperature touched 1.1°C. The highest daytime temperature of 33.4°C was recorded on January 7, 1973.
The city recorded 2.5 inches of rain in 24 hours on January 24, 1919. 4. Gwalior: Northern winds make it the coldest Due to strong northern winds, Gwalior-Chambal remains the coldest region of the state. In recent years, temperatures dropped to 1.9°C in 2018 and 2.4°C in 2019. The all-time low of –1.1°C was recorded on January 24, 1954.
Rainfall is also common in January, with significant showers recorded between 2014 and 2024. 5. Ujjain: Temperature once hit zero Ujjain has also experienced extreme cold due to northern winds. On January 22, 1962, the temperature dropped to 0°C. In the past decade, minimum temperatures have ranged between 2°C and 5.8°C.
The highest 24-hour rainfall was recorded on January 11, 1987, while January 1994 saw the highest monthly rainfall. The cold wave and fog are expected to continue, urging residents to take precautions as winter tightens its grip on Madhya Pradesh.