Cold wave alert in 7 districts of MP:20 districts shrouded in dense fog; sharper chill expected after three days

Large parts of Madhya Pradesh continue to reel under severe cold conditions. Gwalior, Chambal, Sagar and Rewa divisions are experiencing a cold wave, with the Meteorological Department issuing a cold wave alert for seven districts, including Gwalior and Datia, on Sunday. According to the weather department, cold winds are likely to persist through the day in Gwalior, Datia, Niwari, Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, Panna and Satna, keeping daytime temperatures below normal. Dense fog in morning hours across the state More than 20 districts remained under dense to moderate fog during morning hours. Fog was reported in Gwalior, Sheopur, Morena, Bhind, Datia, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Panna, Satna, Rewa, Indore, Bhopal, Ujjain, Raisen, Shajapur, Dewas, Sehore, Guna, Ashok Nagar and Vidisha. Visibility remained poor in several regions, affecting road and rail movement. The weather department said fluctuations in day and night temperatures will continue for the next two days, after which another intense cold spell is expected. Khajuraho coldest at 3.6°C Minimum temperatures dipped below 10 degrees Celsius in 25 cities across the state on Saturday night. Khajuraho in Chhatarpur district was the coldest for the second consecutive night, recording a minimum temperature of 3.6 degrees Celsius. Other low temperatures recorded included 4 degrees in Shivpuri, 4.4 degrees in Rajgarh, 4.6 degrees in Datia, 5 degrees in Naugaon, 5.5 degrees in Rewa, 6 degrees in Mandla, 6.4 degrees in Pachmarhi and 6.9 degrees in Umaria. Among the five major cities, Gwalior recorded the lowest minimum temperature at 5.9 degrees. Bhopal recorded 7.2 degrees, Indore 6.9 degrees, Ujjain 9 degrees and Jabalpur 9.4 degrees Celsius. Cold to intensify after western disturbance moves away Senior meteorologist Dr Divya E. Surendran said alerts for fog and cold wave have been issued for the next two days. She explained that a Western Disturbance is currently active over northern India. Once it moves away, cold conditions are expected to intensify across Madhya Pradesh. She added that strong jet stream winds, blowing at around 252 kmph at an altitude of 12.6 km over northwest India, are also contributing to the cold conditions in the state. Train timings disrupted due to fog Dense fog has affected train schedules, particularly services arriving from Delhi. Trains such as Malwa Express, Punjab Mail and Jan Shatabdi are running late. Malwa Express is reaching Bhopal with delays of five to six hours, and disruptions are expected to continue on Sunday. This winter season has already broken several records in the state. November recorded the coldest temperatures in 84 years, while December broke a 25-year cold record. January has continued the trend, with Bhopal witnessing its coldest January in a decade. Experts warn that severe cold, fog and cold wave conditions may persist in the coming days.