Severe cold grips Madhya Pradesh as temperatures plunge:School timings revised in 9 districts; IMD issues alert for cold wave conditions across nearly half state today

Madhya Pradesh has come under the grip of severe cold as icy winds sweep across the region. Temperatures in Bhopal, Indore and several other cities have dropped to record levels, marking one of the coldest starts to November in decades. The Meteorological Department has issued a cold wave alert for nearly half the state for the next two days. Severe cold wave alert in Bhopal, Indore and Rajgarh The IMD has sounded a severe cold wave warning for Bhopal, Indore and Rajgarh on Tuesday. A cold wave alert has also been issued for Dhar, Barwani, Khargone, Khandwa, Harda, Betul, Dewas, Sehore, Shajapur, Vidisha, Raisen, Sagar, Shivpuri, Niwari, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Satna, Panna, Damoh, Jabalpur, Katni, Maihar and Shahdol. School timings changed in 9 cities Due to the intense cold, Indore Collector Shivam Verma has ordered that schools will start from 9 AM beginning 18 November.
In Bhopal, the District Education Officer has instructed that classes from nursery to 8th standard must not begin before 8:30 AM. Gwalior, Dewas, Jhabua, Chhindwara, Sagar, Shahdol and Khandwa have also revised school timings. However, in Jabalpur, Ujjain and several other districts, children have not yet received any relief. Bhopal breaks 84-year-old record Senior meteorologist Dr. Divya E. Surendran confirmed that Bhopal recorded its coldest November night ever. On Sunday–Monday night, the temperature dipped to 5.2°C, breaking the previous record of 6.1°C set in 1941. Clear skies and strong northern winds are driving the steep temperature drop. A low-pressure area is expected to become active over the southeast Bay of Bengal from 22 November, but until then, cold wave conditions will persist across the state. Record low temperatures across MP Other key minimum temperatures: In many areas including Damoh, Khandwa, Sagar, Guna, Seoni, Ratlam and Khargone, night temperatures ranged between 10–11°C. Coldest day temperatures in Malajkhand, Seoni and Sidhi Daytime temperatures also remained unusually low: Bhopal recorded 25.4°C, Indore 26.1°C, Gwalior 27.5°C, Ujjain 28°C and Jabalpur 25.5°C. Cold sets in earlier than usual this November For the past decade, November in MP has shown a pattern of cold waves accompanied by rainfall. Usually, intense cold develops from the second week of the month, but this year temperatures started dropping sharply from the first week itself. October also saw unusual rainfall, recording 121% above normal, with over 2.8 inches of rainfall against the average of 1.3 inches. Weather highlights from 5 major cities Bhopal: All-time coldest November night Bhopal typically sees minimum temperatures between 9–12°C in November, but this year the cold intensified early. The previous all-time low of 6.1°C (recorded on 30 November 1941) was broken when temperatures dipped to 5.2°C on 16 November 2024. The city also has a trend of occasional November rainfall, with the highest (5.5 inches) recorded in 1936. Indore: Minimum temperature once fell to 5.6°C Indore experiences a noticeable drop in temperatures from the second week of November, usually ranging between 10–12°C. The lowest-ever November temperature here was 5.6°C on 25 November 1938. Day temperatures generally hover between 31–33°C. Gwalior: 1970 saw record low of 3°C Over the past decade, minimum temperatures have dropped to 8°C in November. The all-time November low is 3°C, recorded in 1970.
The highest day temperature was 37.3°C on 2 November 2001. Rainfall has also been recorded occasionally, with 1927 seeing over 3 inches of rain in November. Jabalpur: 1989 saw 3.9°C; 1946 brought heavy November rain In the last decade, the coldest November night in Jabalpur was in 2022, when the minimum reached 7.8°C.
The all-time November low is 3.9°C, recorded on 12 November 1989.
In 1946, the city recorded more than 6 inches of rain in the month. Ujjain: November minimum once dropped to 2.8°C On 30 November 1974, Ujjain recorded its coldest-ever minimum temperature of 2.8°C.
In the last decade, minimum temperatures generally remain between 10–11°C, while daytime temperatures stay between 33–35°C.