Hailstorm in Neemuch Mandsaur, roads covered with hailstones:Rain lashes Gwalior, Ujjain, and other districts, crops damaged; alert issued in 14 districts

The weather in Madhya Pradesh took a sudden turn on Sunday. Several districts witnessed rain, strong winds, dense fog, and hailstorms. Many parts of Mandsaur district received heavy rainfall. Visuals of hailstorms also emerged from Jharda village in Malhargarh, the assembly constituency of Deputy Chief Minister Jagdish Devda. On Sunday evening, heavy rain and hail continued for about half an hour, covering roadsides with a white, ice-like layer. In several places, people were seen collecting hailstones with shovels in their courtyards. Hailstorms were also reported in Palsoda and Bhawarasa areas of Neemuch district, where the scenery resembled a ‘mini Kashmir.’ Farmers have grown increasingly concerned due to the rain and hail damage. Dense fog engulfs Datia and Khajuraho Thunderstorm and rain alert in 14 districts
According to the Meteorological Department, fog impact was more pronounced in Datia, Khajuraho, Gwalior, Nowgong, Satna, Rewa, Ujjain, Sheopur, Rajgarh, Ratlam, Guna, Damoh, Mandla, Tikamgarh, and Malajkhand. Meanwhile, a thunderstorm and rain alert has been issued for 14 districts, including Neemuch and Mandsaur. Fog and cloudy conditions are likely to persist in many parts of the state over the next 24 hours. Meanwhile, amid intense cold and fog, Magh Purnima was observed across the state with devotion. People took holy dips and performed charity rituals along the banks of the Narmada River. Weather forecast for the next 3 days February 2: Rain accompanied by thunder and lightning is likely in Gwalior, Bhopal, Morena, Bhind, Datia, Sheopur, Shivpuri, Guna, Ashoknagar, Agar-Malwa, Rajgarh, Vidisha, Raisen, Sagar, Damoh, Niwari, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Panna and Satna. February 3: Scattered rainfall is possible in Gwalior, Datia, Bhind, Morena, Sheopur, Shivpuri, Guna, Ashoknagar, Vidisha, Sagar, Niwari, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Panna and Satna. February 4: A rain alert has been issued for Chhatarpur, Panna, Satna, Rewa and Mauganj. At the same time, moderate to dense fog is expected in Gwalior, Sheopur, Morena, Bhind, Datia, Shivpuri, Guna, Ashoknagar, Vidisha, Sagar, Damoh, Niwari, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Panna, Katni, Satna, Maihar, Rewa, Mauganj and Sidhi. Reason behind the changing weather According to the Meteorological Department, the changing weather conditions are due to an active Western Disturbance, which will remain influential over west and north India between February 2 and February 5. Its impact will also be felt across Madhya Pradesh, making rain possible in some regions until February 10. In addition, jet stream winds are affecting the state. On Saturday, these winds were recorded at a speed of 213 kmph at a height of 12.6 kilometres over north India, resulting in cold winds across Madhya Pradesh and a noticeable drop in daytime temperatures. Cold conditions to intensify again The Meteorological Department has noted that heavy snowfall and rain in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu Kashmir have disrupted normal life. Once the current weather system retreats, another spell of cold is expected to follow, leading to a further drop in both daytime and night-time temperatures across Madhya Pradesh. Dense fog and temperature trends On Saturday morning, dense fog was reported in Gwalior, Rewa and Datia, with Rewa recording the lowest visibility. Moderate fog was observed in over 20 districts, including Satna, Bhopal, Ujjain, Sheopur, Shajapur, Sehore, Raisen, Vidisha, Dewas, Ratlam, Rajgarh, Narmadapuram, Dhar, Guna, Damoh, Jabalpur, Khajuraho, Mandla, Narsinghpur and Balaghat. While night temperatures showed a slight increase, cold conditions intensified during the day. Khajuraho in Chhatarpur was the coldest, recording a minimum temperature of 6°C, followed by Pachmarhi and Datia at 7.8°C. Other districts reported minimum temperatures ranging between 7.9°C and 9.8°C, though daytime temperatures showed a gradual rise.