Dense fog covers Madhya Pradesh; visibility hits 100m in Gwalior

Dense fog covered nearly 40 districts of Madhya Pradesh, including Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Ujjain on Friday morning. Visibility in Gwalior dropped to 100 meters, while dew-soaked roads were common in Bhopal. The state continues to experience chilly conditions, with no immediate relief.

The mercury has dropped significantly across the state, with Pachmarhi, the state’s lone hill station, recording temperatures below 4°C. Jabalpur has witnessed persistent cold, with mercury stuck at 8°C for days. In all major cities, temperatures hovered below 13°C.

Meteorologist Arun Sharma from the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) stated that foggy conditions would persist for the next three days, but there’s no cold wave alert. Sharma added that minimum temperatures might rise by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius after this foggy spell.

The ongoing cold conditions are due to snowfall in northern states like Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Ladakh. This has resulted in icy winds across Madhya Pradesh. The IMD noted a jet stream wind travelling at 222 km/h at 12.6 km altitude has intensified the cold.

Experts predict that melting snow in northern states could increase wind speed, intensifying the chill across Madhya Pradesh.

Recent rain and hailstorms from Western Disturbancescontributed to the cold wave affecting over 45 districts, including Bhopal, Indore, and Jabalpur, in late December. While the rain temporarily relieved dryness, it worsened cold conditions afterward.

Upcoming weather forecast

The weather department has issued a moderate to dense fog alert for the next three days in multiple districts, including:

• January 3: Dense fog in Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Ujjain, and 35 other districts.

• January 4-5: Dense fog in Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Neemuch, Mandsaur, and other regions.

On the second night of 2025, temperatures in Pachmarhi dropped to 3.4°C, a decline of 7.6 degrees in a night. Other cities, including Rewa, Raisen, and Mandla, reported temperatures below 7°C.

Dense fog on Thursday morning disrupted visibility across half the state. In Bhopal and Ujjain, visibility dropped to 50 meters, while areas like Narmadapuram and Khajuraho reported visibility of 200 to 1,000 meters.

This winter, Madhya Pradesh experienced a record-breaking cold. Bhopal had its coldest November in 36 years, and December temperatures in major cities were consistently 7 degrees below normal. December’s chill surpassed January’s cold in many areas, breaking a 58-year record in Bhopal.

Historical cold records in Madhya Pradesh

• Bhopal: The coldest January night was on January 18, 1935, at 0.6°C.

• Indore: Recorded a low of -1.1°C on January 16, 1935.

• Jabalpur: Experienced a record low of 1.1°C on January 7, 1946.

• Gwalior: The coldest temperature was -1.1°C on January 24, 1954.

• Ujjain recorded a zero-degree temperature on January 22, 1962.

With dense fog and persistent cold predicted, Madhya Pradesh residents are bracing for a challenging start to 2025. Schools in several districts have altered timings to accommodate the weather, while residents are advised to take precautions against the cold.

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