Bitter cold grips MP as mercury drops, Shahdol hits 3°C:IMD issues alert for Bhopal, Indore, Rajgarh, Shajapur and Sehore

Madhya Pradesh is bracing for an exceptionally harsh winter through December, driven by continuous Western Disturbances over the Himalayan region.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), a new system will develop from December 13, bringing icy winds that will tighten the grip of cold across the state.
IMD has issued a cold wave alert for Bhopal, Indore, Rajgarh, Shajapur and Sehore for Thursday. On Wednesday, Bhopal experienced its sixth consecutive day of cold wave conditions. Balaghat’s Malajkhand recorded 22.7 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature in Narsinghpur, Rewa, Sidhi, Betul and Dhar stayed below 26 degrees Celsius. Night temperatures in most major cities fell below 10 degrees Celsius. Indore recorded 5.4 degrees Celsius, Bhopal 6.8 degrees Celsius, Gwalior 9.3 degrees Celsius, Ujjain 8.7 degrees Celsius and Jabalpur 9.1 degrees Celsius. Shahdol’s Kalyanpur was the coldest in the state, recording the season’s lowest minimum of 3 degrees Celsius. Umaria dipped to 4.9 degrees Celsius. Pachmarhi and Rajgarh both recorded 5.2 degrees Celsius. Several other districts—including Rewa (5.8 degrees Celsius), Malajkhand (6.7 degrees Celsius), Mandla-Nowgaon (7 degrees Celsius), Raisen (7.4 degrees Celsius), Chhindwara (7.8 degrees Celsius), Shivpuri (8 degrees Celsius), Satna (8.1 degrees Celsius) and Khajuraho (8.4 degrees Celsius)—also shivered through the night. Why the cold has intensified Impact of jet stream According to weather experts, the drop in temperatures is partly due to a strong jet stream flowing over North India. This fast-moving air current, located 12 km above ground, is blowing at 222 km/h and is amplifying the winter chill across MP. The simultaneous arrival of cold winds from the plains and icy winds from the mountains has doubled the effect. Snowfall in the hills Fresh snowfall in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu Kashmir and Uttarakhand has strengthened the flow of icy northerly winds into central India. Cold wave conditions were reported on Wednesday in Bhopal, Indore, Rajgarh, Shajapur, Sehore and Raisen. Record-breaking winter this year Meteorologists say winter arrived early and with unusual intensity this year. In Bhopal, 17 November recorded a minimum of 5.2 degrees Celsius — the lowest for any November night in history. Indore dipped to 6.4 degrees Celsius, marking the season’s coldest night and the lowest in 25 years. December–January: Peak winter months Just as July–August account for most rainfall in the monsoon season, December and January are the coldest months for MP. During this period, cold winds from northern India penetrate deeper into central India, sharply dropping temperatures and sustaining cold wave conditions. Over the past decade, data shows December often brings strong Western Disturbances, sometimes accompanied by light winter showers (mawatha), causing daytime temperatures to fall further. What to expect this December Meteorologists predict heavy cold spells across several parts of the state. Day and night temperatures are expected to drop significantly due to strong Western Disturbances and sustained northerly winds. Districts likely to witness the harshest cold Cold wave conditions may persist for up to 20–22 days in January. Why the Winter is especially severe this year 1. La Niña extends the duration of cold Global climate models predicted that La Niña would remain active this season. Cooling of the Pacific Ocean increases the push of cold air towards Asia and India, tightening the winter grip across central India. 2. Early snowfall in the northern hills Himalayan states witnessed unusually early snowfall this year, boosting cold penetration into MP by 20%–30%. 3. Cold winds reaching deeper inland Cold winds this year have penetrated 20%–25% deeper across major weather zones including Gwalior–Chambal, Bhopal–Vidisha, Ratlam–Mandsaur and Sagar–Damoh. 4. Persistent western disturbances Repeated Western Disturbances have caused winter rains, dropping temperatures by 4–6 degrees Celsius. Cities like Bhopal, Ujjain, Mandsaur and Ratlam could see more rain, while Indore–Dewas, Bhopal–Sehore and Gwalior–Morena may experience cold-day conditions. City-wise December weather trends Bhopal Indore Gwalior Jabalpur Ujjain