MP witnesses sudden winter rain, hail and storms:Schools closed in Gwalior, 25 districts face heavy rain, damages crops

Due to the influence of a cyclonic circulation and an active trough, Madhya Pradesh has experienced a sudden change in weather. During the winter season, rain and hailstorms have occurred across the state. On Tuesday, hailstones were reported in Guna, Ujjain, and Agar-Malwa, while more than 20 districts recorded rainfall. Similar conditions are expected to continue on Wednesday. An alert for rain and storms has been issued for 14 districts, including Gwalior and Sagar. Districts under alert The 14 districts under a storm and rain alert for Wednesday are Gwalior, Morena, Bhind, Datia, Niwari, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur, Panna, Satna, Maihar, Rewa, Mauganj, Sagar, and Damoh. Cloudy conditions may also prevail in several other districts, including Sheopur, Shivpuri, Guna, Ashoknagar, Sidhi, Singrauli, Katni, Umaria, Shahdol, Neemuch, and Mandsaur. Morning fog adds to cold Alongside the rain alert, moderate fog was reported on Wednesday morning in Gwalior, Shivpuri, Sheopur, Tikamgarh, Morena, Bhind, Datia, Niwari, Chhatarpur, Panna, Satna, Maihar, and Rewa. Other districts, including Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Raisen, and Sehore, also witnessed the effects of morning fog. School closure in Gwalior Continuous rainfall in Gwalior since Tuesday afternoon has led to 21.4 mm of rain being recorded by 8:30 PM. Due to the cold and persistent rain, schools in the city have been closed on Wednesday. Hail and rain damage crops On Tuesday, more than 25 districts recorded storms, rainfall, and cloudy weather. Hailstones fell in Agar-Malwa, Shajapur, and Guna, while rain was reported in Guna, Shajapur, Barwani, Chhatarpur, Mandsaur, Ratlam, Ashoknagar, Bhind, Morena, Rajgarh, Shivpuri, Gwalior, Tikamgarh, and Agar-Malwa. Flooding on roads was reported in several areas. In Ratlam, Shajapur, and Agar-Malwa, strong winds flattened standing crops, causing heavy losses for farmers. Lightning was also observed at night in Niwari, Datia, Sheopur, Ujjain, Khargone, and Dhar. In Ujjain, heavy rain accompanied by hailstones occurred in the Tarana and Ghatia regions on Tuesday evening, flattening standing wheat crops in Banada, Bamori, and nearby villages. See pictures of hail and rain on Tuesday- First winter weather spell This is the first spell of hail, storms, and rain in the state this winter. However, the system did not affect the Indore, Bhopal, Narmadapuram, and Jabalpur divisions. On Tuesday, clouds gathered over Bhopal in the afternoon, but no rainfall was reported. A new weather system is forming in North-West India on 30 January and is expected to impact Madhya Pradesh after two to three days. This could result in rainfall continuing into early February. Temperature drop expected The rain and cold wave will lead to a decrease in both minimum and maximum temperatures across the state, with forecasts predicting a drop of 2–3°C. Night temperatures in several cities may fall below 10°C, despite a recent rise over the past two days. On Monday–Tuesday night, minimum temperatures in most cities had remained above 10°C. Why does January bring cold weather ? According to the Meteorological Department, just as July–August are crucial for the monsoon, December and January are significant for severe cold. During these months, cold winds from North India lead to a marked drop in temperatures. Western Disturbances, locally called ‘Mawatha’, often bring winter rain and hail in January. Data from the past ten years shows similar trends. This year, cloudy weather and rainfall were observed in several districts from the first week of January, continuing into the last week.