Khajuraho hit 46.8 degrees Celsius on Monday the second-highest temperature ever recorded in Madhya Pradesh, just 0.1 degrees short of the all-time mark set in April 1993. Roads buckled in Bhopal, which reached 44 degrees. For the first time this May, the entire state baked simultaneously.
Twenty-two cities crossed 44 degrees Celsius in a single day — the first time this season the threshold fell across the state at once. Naugaon, also in Chhatarpur district, recorded 46 degrees, making two cities from the same district the hottest in Madhya Pradesh on the same day.
Rajgarh touched 45.5 degrees, Ratlam 45.4, and Khandwa 45.1. Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, and Jabalpur all recorded higher temperatures than on the same date last year.
What IMD Says
The India Meteorological Department has warned that temperatures may rise by another 2 to 3 degrees in the next four days.
Weather scientist H.S. Pandey of the Bhopal Meteorological Centre warned that conditions will be most dangerous between noon and 3 p.m. “Go out only if needed,” he said.
IMD’s special press release dated May 18 warned that heat wave to severe heat wave conditions are likely to prevail over the plains of central India during the week.
The IMD has issued an intense heat alert mercury expected at 45 degrees or above for Bhind, Datia, Niwari, Tikamgarh, and Chhatarpur on Tuesday.
Heat wave warnings cover 28 districts, including Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Ujjain, Sagar, Ratlam, and Morena. Districts without a formal alert — including Jabalpur, Rewa, Seoni, and Singrauli — will still face severe heat.
From Rain to Ruin in Eight Days
The state’s swing from wet to scorching has been sharp. Madhya Pradesh recorded rain, hail, or storms on 14 of May’s first 18 days, including 11 consecutive days of rain through May 10. The pattern broke on May 11. No rain alert has been issued anywhere in the state for Tuesday.
The health department has urged residents to stay hydrated and avoid direct sun between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. “People should wear light-colored cotton clothing and ensure they carry water bottles when stepping out. Special care must be taken for the elderly and children,” the advisory read.
The heat is forecast to hold for at least four more days.
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