Severe cold intensifies in Madhya Pradesh:Pachmarhi below 4 degrees, trains delayed due to fog; western disturbance to increase chill ahead

The impact of fog has reduced across Madhya Pradesh, but the spell of severe cold continues unabated. Temperatures have dropped sharply, with the mercury falling below 4°C at the state’s only hill station, Pachmarhi. Weather experts have warned that cold conditions are likely to intensify further, calling for extra caution for tourists travelling to Pachmarhi for New Year celebrations. Kalyanpur in Shahdol district has emerged as the second coldest place in the state, where a minimum temperature of 6.3°C was recorded. Trains severely affected by fog conditions Fog has had the greatest impact on rail services. Trains operating from Delhi to Bhopal, Ujjain and Indore have been running significantly behind schedule. For the past week, delays ranging from five to eight hours have been reported on more than a dozen services, including major trains such as the Malwa Express, Shatabdi Express and Sachkhand Express. Poor visibility in several districts also made road travel difficult, particularly during early morning hours. Weather conditions on Thursday morning On Thursday morning, fog was observed in several districts including Gwalior, Bhind, Datia, Niwari, Chhatarpur, Panna, Satna, Rewa, Maihar, Mauganj, Sidhi, Singrauli and Shahdol. While some locations experienced dense fog, others reported moderate fog. Meteorologist Arun Sharma stated that fog intensity is expected to reduce over the next two days. However, the cold will intensify, with minimum temperatures likely to drop by a further 2 to 3 degrees Celsius. The weather is expected to remain clear for the next five days, and there is no possibility of rainfall anywhere in the state. Pachmarhi records season’s lowest temperature According to the Meteorological Department, Pachmarhi recorded a minimum temperature of 3.8°C on Tuesday–Wednesday night. This is the lowest temperature recorded there so far this season. Kalyanpur followed with 6.3°C, making it the second coldest city in Madhya Pradesh. Other notable minimum temperatures include 7°C in Naugaon, 7.4°C in Rajgarh, 7.6°C in Malajkhand, 8.2°C in Rewa, 8.3°C in Umaria, 9°C in Raisen and Chhindwara–Mandla, 9.2°C in Khajuraho and 9.8°C in Tikamgarh. Western disturbance to intensify cold further The Meteorological Department has indicated that a Western Disturbance is likely to affect the Western Himalayan region on December 27. Its impact will also be felt in Madhya Pradesh, leading to an increase in cold conditions due to icy northerly winds. Currently, cold northerly winds are blowing across the state, making daytime temperatures unusually low in cities such as Indore, Rajgarh, Shajapur and Bhopal. Jet stream playing a key role The jet stream is also active over northern India and is contributing significantly to the cold wave. It is flowing at a speed of around 240 kmph at an altitude of approximately 12.6 kilometres. On Wednesday, similar wind speeds were recorded. Weather experts explain that the combination of icy winds from mountainous regions, cold winds from the northern plains, and the jet stream has intensified winter conditions. When a Western Disturbance coincides with an active jet stream, the severity of cold increases substantially, as is being witnessed this year. Winter breaks long-standing records Winter has already broken records in November and December. Bhopal experienced a cold wave for 15 consecutive days in November, the longest such spell since records began in 1931. On November 17, the minimum temperature dropped to 5.2°C, an all-time record. Indore also recorded a minimum of 6.4°C, marking its coldest night in 25 years. In December, temperatures in both Indore and Bhopal have fallen below 5°C. Districts facing the harshest cold Severe cold conditions persist across Gwalior, Chambal and Ujjain divisions, where icy winds are directly impacting temperatures and fog formation. Sagar and Rewa divisions are also affected. Intense cold is being felt in Sehore, Raisen, Rajgarh and Vidisha in the Bhopal division, with Rajgarh recording temperatures as low as 4°C. Similar conditions prevail in Niwari, Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, Panna, Mauganj, Sidhi, Singrauli, Mandla, Dindori, Indore, Dhar and Jhabua. The Meteorological Department has advised people to remain alert and take precautions as cold conditions are expected to persist in the coming days.