Despite the widespread chill, most districts have yet to revise school timings. Only Gwalior, Chhindwara and Dewas have officially altered morning schedules, leaving children in many regions to step out in near-freezing conditions. In Bhopal, school vans begin their routes as early as 6:30 a.m., though a few private institutions have pushed start times forward by 20–30 minutes. Collector Kaushalendra Vikram Singh said final orders on timing changes would be issued after consultation with education officials.
Gwalior schools shifted to later timings from November 1, while Chhindwara authorities have barred any school from starting before 8:30 a.m. Ujjain and Indore have not implemented changes so far, with Indore Collector Shivam Verma stating that conditions do not yet qualify as a “cold day” but decisions may be reviewed this week.
The cold intensified after heavy snowfall in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir pushed icy winds into central India. Daytime temperatures have also dropped notably: Bhopal recorded 25.8°C on Sunday, Indore 25.9°C, and Gwalior 27.8°C. Malajkhand was the coldest spot, with the mercury slipping to 22.3°C.
Meteorologist Arun Sharma said cold wave warnings have been issued for districts including Bhopal, Rajgarh, Sehore, Shajapur, Dhar, Indore, Dewas, Shivpuri, Chhatarpur, Panna, Rewa, Satna, Damoh and Jabalpur. Night temperatures in Rajgarh dipped to 6°C, while Rewa, Naogaon, Umaria and Satna recorded sub-10°C readings.
Weather officials expect temperatures to dip further in northern MP, especially the Gwalior–Chambal belt, where northerly winds directly influence the region. The early winter trend follows an unusually wet October, which set the stage for the current cold spell.
