Heavy rains accompanied by strong winds hit Bhopal and Indore late Thursday night, causing widespread damage. Trees and signboards fell across the cities. Power outages were reported in several areas due to the storm.
Heavy rain, wind hit Madhya Pradesh
In Bhopal, the weather changed suddenly around 9:30 PM. Storms with wind speeds reaching over 40 km/h swept through areas such as Ayodhya Bypass, Kolar Road, Karond, Raisen Road, Tulsi Nagar, Char Imli, Mandakini, Bavadia Kalan, Sarvadharma, Awadhpuri, Shahpura, Katara, and Hoshangabad Road.
Residents reported falling trees and broken electricity lines. On Boat Club Road, a large signboard collapsed. Streets like Gautam Nagar and Kolar Road experienced flooding. The power supply was cut off in many areas due to the storm’s intensity.
In Indore, heavy rains started past midnight. Strong winds accompanied the downpour, damaging property and disrupting normal life. Other places such as Rajgarh and Raisen also received rain and high winds.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a thunderstorm alert for more than 40 districts on Friday. These include Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Jabalpur, Satna, Rewa, Mauganj, Sidhi, Singrauli, Panna, Maihar, Umaria, Shahdol, Katni, Damoh, Sagar, Narsinghpur, Raisen, Vidisha, Sehore, Rajgarh, Shajapur, Dewas, Dhar, and Ratlam.
In 16 districts, winds could blow at speeds of 60 km/h or more. A heat wave alert has also been issued for eight districts: Gwalior, Sheopur, Morena, Bhind, Datia, Niwari, Tikamgarh, and Chhatarpur.
The state has seen frequent weather changes throughout May. Senior meteorologist Arun Sharma said two cyclonic circulations and a trough are affecting the region. These conditions are expected to continue for the next few days.
So far, Madhya Pradesh has recorded rainfall for 22 consecutive days in at least one or more districts. This unusual weather pattern has delayed the typical rise in temperatures during this time of year.
Temperatures to rise again soon
On Thursday, the temperature dropped significantly. Bhopal recorded 37.4°C, Indore 36.3°C, Gwalior 39.4°C, Jabalpur 36.8°C, and Ujjain 38°C. The sharpest drop was in Satna and Seoni, where the temperature fell by 8.1 degrees. Other notable drops include 6.8 degrees in Malajkhand, 7.9 in Chhindwara, 5 in Mandla, 7.6 in Rewa, and 5.1 in Gwalior.
Despite these drops, temperatures are expected to climb again. The IMD predicts that in the last days of May, heat will return strongly. Temperatures could reach 45°C or more in Gwalior, Chhatarpur, Narsinghpur, Niwari, Maihar, Tikamgarh, Bhind, Datia, Khargone, Barwani, Khandwa, Morena, Rajgarh, Raisen, Shajapur, Sheopurkalan, Shivpuri, and Vidisha.
Khajuraho and Naugaon in Chhatarpur district might see highs up to 48°C. In Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, and Ujjain, temperatures are expected to stay between 44 and 45°C. Gwalior may be the hottest among the major cities, with a possible high of 46-47°C.
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