Met Office Warns of Rain, Strong Winds Across Madhya Pradesh

Looking ahead to May 2 (Saturday), the forecast predicts continued instability with isolated rainfall or drizzle accompanied by thunderstorms and lightning across several districts, including Gwalior, Rewa, Jabalpur, and Panna.

Winds are expected to be particularly strong, reaching speeds of up to 50 kmph in eastern districts such as Sidhi and Balaghat.

In the state capital Bhopal, the sky is likely to remain partly cloudy, with temperatures hovering around 39 degrees Celsius during the day and about 23 degrees Celsius at night.

Over the previous 24 hours, the state witnessed a sharp drop in temperatures, particularly in the Rewa and Shahdol divisions, where maximum temperatures fell by as much as 10.3 degrees Celsius. Minimum temperatures also recorded a notable decline, especially in Gwalior and Shahdol.

Despite the cooling trend, Khargone recorded the highest temperature in the state at 42.6 degrees Celsius, while Pachmarhi registered the lowest minimum temperature at 17.2 degrees Celsius.

The current weather pattern is being driven by multiple synoptic systems, including a western disturbance persisting as a cyclonic circulation over Kashmir and an associated trough extending further north.

Additionally, lower-level cyclonic circulations are active over north Punjab and the Gangetic West Bengal region.

These systems have already triggered widespread rainfall across the Shahdol, Gwalior, Chambal, and Rewa divisions, with Tikamgarh and Bhitarwar recording over 30 mm of rainfall.

Severe weather conditions, including hailstorms, were reported in districts such as Bhopal, Gwalior, and Singrauli, while dust storms affected areas like Shivpuri and Damoh.

The outlook for the coming week suggests a gradual rise in maximum temperatures by around 2 degrees Celsius over the next two days, followed by a subsequent drop of 2 to 3 degrees Celsius.

Authorities have advised residents to remain indoors during thunderstorms and have urged farmers to harvest mature crops immediately to minimise potential damage from rain and strong winds.

- IANS