Dense fog has gripped Madhya Pradesh for three consecutive days, reducing visibility to a mere 20 meters in major cities and forcing authorities to declare holidays in 24 districts. The weather department has issued warnings for the next three days as the state battles one of its harshest winter seasons in decades.
Education officials have shut schools in 24 districts across Madhya Pradesh, affecting students from nursery to class eight. Six additional districts have delayed school start times to after 9:30 am or 10 am to protect young children from the harsh morning cold.
Despite the two-day holiday declared in Bhind district, coaching centers continued operations. Children were spotted heading to coaching classes from 6 am Tuesday morning, walking through freezing cold and dense fog.
Transportation Chaos Grips the State
Train services from Delhi have suffered massive delays. The Malwa, Sachkhand, and Shatabdi express trains are running three to seven hours behind schedule. In Morena district, trains face delays of up to seven hours due to near-zero visibility.
Ambulance services face unprecedented challenges. Between 2 am and 6 am, when fog is thickest, emergency vehicles must crawl at reduced speeds. “Ambulance drivers and staff have been trained to drive safely in fog and adverse weather,” officials confirmed, though they acknowledged the difficulty in transporting patients between hospitals on time.
Record-Breaking Cold Shatters Lives
This winter has broken records across Madhya Pradesh. November 2025 was the coldest in 84 years, while December broke a 25-year record. The meteorological department predicts January will follow the same pattern.
Kalyanpur in Shahdol district recorded the lowest temperature at 3.8 degrees Celsius. Umaria saw temperatures drop to 4.6 degrees, prompting parents to demand extended holidays for their children.
Even daytime temperatures offer little respite. Bhopal recorded just 18.4 degrees on Monday, with eleven cities failing to cross the 20-degree mark during afternoon hours.
What’s Causing This Extreme Weather?
The Meteorological Department attributes the severe conditions to moisture from the Arabian Sea. “When humidity is high and wind is very slow, clouds come down. This reduces visibility,” officials explained. The state has experienced 100 percent humidity with minimal wind speed for three consecutive days.
Fog blankets cities from evening through mid-morning. In Bhind, fog started around 8 pm Monday and remained so thick overnight that nothing was visible beyond 30 feet.
In Raisen, dew has settled and frozen on flowers and plants for three consecutive days, with visibility dropping below 50 meters during morning hours.
The weather department forecasts continued dense fog across more than 30 districts on January 7, with conditions expected to persist through January 8 in several eastern and northern districts of the state.
Parents continue demanding extended holidays as children struggle to reach schools in freezing temperatures. Meanwhile, authorities balance safety concerns against educational disruption in what has become one of Madhya Pradesh’s most challenging winter seasons in recent memory.
Temperature Data Across Major Cities
| City | Minimum Temperature (ยฐC) | Maximum Temperature (ยฐC) | Visibility | Weather Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kalyanpur (Shahdol) | 3.8 | – | – | Dense fog |
| Datia | 4.4 | 18.6 | – | Severe cold |
| Rajgarh | 5.4 | – | – | Dense fog |
| Khajuraho | 5.4 | 18.6 | 20m | Dense fog |
| Morena | 5.5 | – | 20m | Thickest fog of season |
| Umaria | 5.7 | 21.5 | – | Severe cold wave |
| Vidisha | 5.5 | – | 10m | Dense fog blanket |
| Dhar | 5.9 | 21.4 | – | Strong cold winds |
| Raisen | 6.0 | – | 50m | Dense fog, frozen dew |
| Bhopal | 6.8 | 18.4 | 20-50m | Dense fog |
| Gwalior | 6.4 | 19.6 | – | Cold wave |
| Indore | 8.6 | 22.0 | – | Cold winds |
| Jabalpur | 9.0 | 20.4 | – | Dense fog |
| Ujjain | 9.5 | 22.4 | – | Cold conditions |
| Narmadapuram | – | 21.0 | 100m | Snowy winds |
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