Staff Reporter :
The cold wave sweeping across North India has continuously increasing chill throughout Madhya Pradesh, including Jabalpur. In several cities, temperatures have dropped below five degrees Celsius. The lowest temperature recorded in the State was 1°C, at Kalyanpur (Shahdol) and the hill station Pachmarhi.
Cold wave has been persisting in the state for the past one week. This extreme cold is expected to continue for the next 48 hours. An alert for the cold wave was issued for more than 30 districts, including Jabalpur and Bhopal, on Monday.
Spokesman of the Weather Department informed that the icy winds from North India are causing the intense cold. The same weather conditions are expected to persist on Tuesday. However, some relief from the cold may arrive after 48 hours.
Meanwhile, an alert for the cold wave has been issued for Bhopal and Jabalpur and other districts including Panna, Satna, Singrauli, Katni, Dindori, Pandhurna, Seoni, Balaghat etc.
It may be noted that the biting cold generally grips the region in the latter half of December. However, this year, the first half of December is already rewriting history. November also witnessed unprecedented cold, breaking records of several past years.
Freezing winds blowing from the mountains have left the entire state shivering.
The harsh cold conditions have disrupted normal life and making even routine activities difficult. The chill will dominate the region till December 18.
For the last one week, the Jabalpur and surrounding districts have been experiencing harsh cold conditions, with the temperature running 7°C below normal. On Monday, the minimum temperature was recorded to 5°C, leaving people shivering throughout the day. The severe cold is significantly impacting daily life. The biting cold and freezing winds have been forcing people to stay indoors. Streets are deserted early at night and mornings start late as people try to avoid the icy chill.
The city's maximum temperature on Monday was recorded at 24.6°C, while the minimum temperature dropped to 5°C, which was 6°C below normal. Morning humidity was recorded at 73 per cent, reducing to 52 per cent by evening, with northern winds blowing at a speed of 2 to 3 kilometre per hour.