Cold day conditions to prevail over northwest India

New Delhi, Jan 29: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that cold day conditions are likely to continue in most parts of central and northwest India.

According to the weather agency, MP, UP, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan are likely to reel under cold day conditions for the next two days.

The IMD said severe cold conditions will prevail in Madhya Pradesh till February 2, with the areas witnessing bone-chilling cold likely to see a rise in temperature gradually after one week.

The IMD has issued orange alerts about severe cold waves or cold waves for the districts of Bhopal, Jabalpur, Rewa, Umaria, Chhindwara, Balaghat, Seoni, Chhattarpur, Sagar, Hoshangabad, Betul, Raisen, Sehore, Dhar, Khandwa, Khargone, Ratlam, Ujjain and Guna.

Besides, yellow alerts of severe cold and cold days have been issued for the next two days.

"Very likely severe cold day" has been forecast at isolated places in 14 districts -- Indore, Alirajpur, Barwani, Burhanpur, Dhar, Jhabua, Khandwa, Khargone, Ujjain, Datia, Tikamgarh, Betul, Damoh and Balaghat.
"Likely cold days" are forecast at isolated places in

the divisions of Bhopal, Rewa, Shahdol and Chambal and in the districts of Chhindwara, Jabalpur, Mandla, Chhatarpur, Sagar, Niwari, Panna, Ratlam, Shajapur, Guna, Shivpuri and Ashok Nagar, Saha said.

Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Raisen, Dhar, Mandla, Tikamgarh, Damoh, Satna, Sidhi, Betul and Malajkhand in Balaghat experienced a severe cold day on Thursday, the senior meteorologist said.

Jabalpur, Gwalior, Khandwa, Khargone, Chhindwara, Umaria, Ratlam, Shajapur and the tourist hotspot Khajuraho in Chhatarpur district saw a cold day.

The maximum and minimum temperatures in Bhopal were 19.8 degrees Celsius, seven degrees below normal and 5.3 degrees Celsius, six degrees below normal, respectively.

The maximum and minimum temperatures of Indore were 19.4 (9 degrees below normal) and 6.8 (4 degrees below normal), Saha said.

Maximum and minimum temperatures of Jabalpur were 19.7 (-5) and 6.5 (-5).

As per the IMD, a cold day is one when the minimum temperature drops to 10 degrees Celsius or below and the normal maximum temperature dips by at least 4.5 degrees.

A severe cold day is when the normal maximum temperature drops by at least 6.5 degrees Celsius.

Chilly winds are blowing into the state from Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir which are experiencing snowfall, Saha said.

Light to moderate fog is likely to envelop eight districts including Gwalior and Tikamgarh for the next two days.

The cold is likely to prevail in Madhya Pradesh for two to three more days, the IMD official said.