The southwest monsoon has picked up pace and is expected to enter Madhya Pradesh in the next three days—around June 15 or 16. Until then, the state will continue to witness unstable weather conditions. While some districts will face intense heat, others will see thunderstorms and heavy rain.
The Meteorological Department has issued a heatwave alert for Gwalior, Bhind, Morena, Sheopur, Datia, Niwari, Tikamgarh, and Chhatarpur on Saturday. At the same time, heavy rain is expected in Ratlam, Jhabua, and Alirajpur. Several cities including Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Jabalpur, Dhar, Khargone, Barwani, and Chhindwara may experience thunderstorms, strong winds, and light showers.
Friday brought widespread storms and damage across multiple districts. In Shivpuri, strong winds destroyed two straw-processing factories near Kakarwaya village. Shed roofs and pillars were uprooted, sweeping away stored straw and bricks. In Morena and Guna, trees were uprooted and huts damaged. In Ratlam, a tree fell on the railway track between Gautampura and Badnagar, halting a passenger train coming from Mhow.
The storms also led to casualties. In Ratlam, a 15-year-old girl died due to lightning in Moyakheda, while another woman died in Tamboliya. One more woman was injured. In Alot’s Joyan village, a woman named Shyamu Bai died after a tree fell on her during the storm.
On Friday, the temperature crossed 40 degrees Celsius in several cities. Khajuraho recorded the highest at 45°C. Gwalior reached 44.5°C, Narmadapuram 44.4°C, and Naugaon 44°C. Bhopal recorded 40°C, while Indore stayed cooler at 38.2°C. Ujjain recorded 41.8°C and Jabalpur 40.8°C. Other cities like Tikamgarh, Guna, Satna, Rewa, and Ratlam also saw temperatures at or above 40°C.
Temperature Records on Friday
| City/District | Temperature (°C) |
|---|---|
| Khajuraho | 45.0 |
| Gwalior | 44.5 |
| Narmadapuram | 44.4 |
| Naugaon | 44.0 |
| Ujjain | 41.8 |
| Jabalpur | 40.8 |
| Bhopal | 40.0 |
| Indore | 38.2 |
| Tikamgarh | 40+ |
| Narsinghpur | 40+ |
| Guna | 40+ |
| Satna | 40+ |
| Rewa | 40+ |
| Sidhi | 40+ |
| Shivpuri | 40+ |
| Umaria | 40+ |
| Sagar | 40+ |
| Ratlam | 40+ |
| Shajapur | 40+ |
| Khargone | 40+ |
| Khandwa | 40+ |
This year, the monsoon arrived in India eight days ahead of schedule and reached states like Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh early. However, it stalled for about 15 days in those regions, delaying its entry into Madhya Pradesh. The monsoon is now progressing and is expected to enter the state around June 15–16, which matches the typical arrival date. Last year, it entered on June 21.
Madhya Pradesh witnessed a rare 43-day stretch of continuous rain and storms from April 26 to June 7. At least one district reported rainfall or storm activity daily during this period. After a brief pause, unstable weather resumed again with more rain and strong winds.
This May broke several rainfall records. Indore recorded 4.6 inches of rain, the highest in 139 years. The previous record was 4.2 inches in May 1886. Ujjain also recorded its highest-ever May rainfall at 111.8 mm. Fifty-three districts received consistent rain, while Niwari was the only one with unmeasured drizzle.
Surprisingly, May was cooler than April. No city in the state crossed 43°C in May. In contrast, many places reached 45°C in April. Even during the Nautapa period, temperatures remained below expected levels in most districts.
Meteorologist Dr. Surendran explained that frequent cyclonic circulations, western disturbances, and trough systems remained active throughout May. These weather patterns caused regular rain and thunderstorms across the state.
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