MP braces for renewed cold spell in 24 hours:Fog blankets northern districts; Pachmarhi Kalyanpur remain coldest in state

Madhya Pradesh saw a change in weather on the first day of the New Year. The severe cold eased for a short time, but fog covered many districts and clouds appeared in the north. Weather officials have warned that intense cold and dense fog will return from January 3, along with delays to daily life and transport. Fog and clouds across the state On Thursday, there was no extreme cold in Madhya Pradesh. However, fog covered 16 districts and clouds were seen in five northern districts. Cloudy weather was reported in Sheopur, Morena, Gwalior, Bhind and Datia. In Datia, fog was so dense that visibility dropped below 50 metres. Fog was also recorded in Khajuraho, Satna, Gwalior, Naugaon, Rewa, Sidhi, Bhopal, Guna, Indore, Ujjain, Rajgarh, Ratlam, Narmadapuram, Khargone, Sheopur and Damoh. Similar conditions continued today. There was fog, but no strong cold. Dense fog is expected to return from January 3. Dense fog warning from January 3 The Meteorological Department has issued a warning of dense fog from January 3 to January 5. Districts likely to be affected include Gwalior, Morena, Bhind, Datia, Niwari, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Panna, Satna, Maihar, Rewa, Mauganj, Sidhi and Singrauli. Along with fog, the impact of cold will increase during these days. Trains delayed due to fog Fog and cold have started affecting daily life. Trains coming from Delhi are being delayed regularly. Many trains are running 8 to 10 hours late, causing inconvenience to passengers. Pachmarhi coldest, mercury dips below 10°C Pachmarhi, the only hill station in the state, remained the coldest place on New Year. Temperatures stayed below 10°C in Shivpuri, Khajuraho, Amarkantak, Rajgarh, Rewa, Naogaon, Umaria, Mandla, Malajkhand, Tikamgarh, Datia, Narsinghpur, Raisen, Chhindwara and Indore. Severe winter spell expected again This winter has already broken records in Madhya Pradesh. The Meteorological Department says January will also see intense cold, similar to November and December. In some areas, sub-zero temperatures have already been recorded this month. Dense fog, cold waves and cold days are expected to continue. Why the cold will intensify Snowfall in hill states and active Western Disturbance systems are increasing winter’s impact in Madhya Pradesh. Along with morning fog, cold waves and intense cold conditions will persist. On Thursday, the jet stream wind speed reached 222 kmph, which caused night temperatures to fall further. The jet stream is expected to remain active. What is a jet stream? A jet stream is a very strong wind that flows about 12.6 km above the ground. This time, its speed has reached up to 285 kmph in northern India. Cold winds from the plains and icy winds from the mountains combine due to Western Disturbance. When a strong jet stream is also active, the cold becomes more severe. This is happening now. Why January is important for winter The Meteorological Department explains that December and January are the coldest months, just as July and August are key months for monsoon rain. Cold winds from North India reach Madhya Pradesh more often during this period. This leads to a sharp drop in temperatures. Data from the last 10 years shows the same pattern. Winter rain is also common in January due to Western Disturbance. Last year, many districts received rain. This year too, clouds appeared on the very first day of 2026.