Cold wave grips Madhya Pradesh as Makar Purnima bath begins; rain alert issued for 15 districts

Bitter cold conditions and dense fog continued across Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, with weather officials placing several northern districts under a rain and thunderstorm alert.

What happened: A western disturbance has triggered a sharp weather shift in Madhya Pradesh, prompting alerts for rain, thunderstorms and hail in 15 districts.

Why it matters now: The cold wave and fog are affecting travel, local movement and Makar Purnima gatherings across the state.

What changes for people: Residents should expect 30–40 kmph winds, scattered showers and potential hail in some areas over the next four days.

Who is affected: Districts including Gwalior, Morena, Bhind, Datia, Shivpuri, Guna, Ashoknagar, Neemuch and others remain under active advisories.

Western disturbance triggers sudden weather change

Madhya Pradesh woke up to dense fog, cloudy skies and a sharp drop in temperature, as the India Meteorological Department confirmed the activation of a western disturbance over the northern parts of the state.

The system is expected to bring rain and thunderstorms to a cluster of 15 northern districts, with the strongest impact predicted on Sunday.

Officials also highlighted a possibility of hailstorms in Sheopur and Morena, urging communities and farmers to remain vigilant.

Strong winds and rain expected over next four days

According to IMD projections, winds may reach 30 to 40 kmph, accompanied by light to moderate rainfall across multiple regions.

The disturbance is also likely to cause Mawatha (unseasonal winter rainfall) for the next three to four days, which may influence agricultural activity and transport conditions.

Districts under alert on Sunday include:

Gwalior, Bhind, Morena, Datia, Sheopur, Guna

Ashoknagar, Niwari, Tikamgarh, Chhatarpur

Neemuch, Mandsaur, Agar-Malwa, Rajgarh

Fog impacts visibility in several cities

Morning visibility remained low in Chhatarpur, Panna, Satna and Rewa, where moderate fog was recorded.

Bhopal and Indore also reported fog-like conditions early in the day before skies began to clear.

Despite the freezing temperatures, thousands of devotees reached Narmada ghats to perform Makar Purnima Snan, with police and local administration deploying additional arrangements.