Bhopal recorded 5.2°C on Sunday–Monday night, its coldest November night everbreaking an 84-year-old record set in 1941. Fog covered parts of the city early Monday as strong northerly winds and clear skies drove temperatures far below normal.
Indore, too, shivered at 7.2°C, its lowest November temperature in 25 years. Rajgarh reported a biting 5°C, while Gwalior, Ujjain, Jabalpur and several other districts logged single-digit minimums. Night temperatures in many parts of the state hovered between 10°C and 12°C, far below typical November levels.
With the cold intensifying, school timings have been revised in at least nine districts. In Indore, Collector Shivam Verma ordered all schools to begin at 9 am from November 18, while Bhopal’s District Education Officer directed that classes from nursery to Class 8 must not start before 8:30 am. Gwalior, Dewas, Jhabua, Chhindwara, Sagar, Shahdol and Khandwa have issued similar instructions. Districts such as Jabalpur and Ujjain have yet to announce changes.
According to senior IMD meteorologist Dr. Divya E. Surendran, a low-pressure system expected to form over the southeast Bay of Bengal around November 22 may shift wind patterns, but until then, the cold wave will persist. She said the steep temperature drop reflects both seasonal wind movement and the impact of clear post-monsoon conditions.
Day temperatures also remained unusually low. Malajkhand recorded 22.8°C, while Seoni, Sidhi and Pachmarhi remained below 25°C. Bhopal settled at 25.4°C and Indore at 26.1°C.
Meteorologists note that the chill arrived earlier than usual this year. October had already recorded 121% excess rainfall, setting the stage for rapid cooling once winter winds set in. The IMD has advised vulnerable groups, including children and the elderly, to take precautions as temperatures are likely to remain low through the week.
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