Bhopal, Feb 20 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh experienced sporadic rainfall and notable temperature shifts over the past 24 hours, said the India Meteorological Department’s Bhopal office.

Looking ahead, IMD has forecast rainfall or drizzle at isolated places in districts including Bhopal, Vidisha, Raisen, Sehore, Narmadapuram, Harda, Khargone, Barwani, Alirajpur, Dhar, Indore, Ujjain, Dewas, Shajapur, Ashoknagar, Rewa, Mauganj, Satna, Katni, Jabalpur, Narsinghpur, Panna, Damoh, Sagar, Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, and Maihar until 08:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Remaining districts will stay dry, it said.

Thunderstorm and lightning warnings are issued for isolated spots in Bhopal, Vidisha, Raisen, Sehore, Khargone, Barwani, Alirajpur, Dhar, Indore, Ujjain, Dewas, Shajapur, Ashoknagar, Rewa, Satna, Panna, Damoh, Sagar, Chhatarpur, and Tikamgarh.

The IMD has advised people to stay indoors during thunderstorms, avoid open fields, and unplugging electronics.

It advised farmers to protect crops, suspend field work, and prepare for summer sowing of sugarcane, groundnut, soybean, and maize.

Residents have been urged to monitor official alerts amid these unseasonal conditions influenced by subtropical jet streams and cyclonic systems.

Rainfall was recorded at isolated places in Rewa and Sagar divisions, and at a few places in Bhopal, Indore, and Ujjain divisions, while the rest of the state remained mostly dry.

Ujjain recorded 24 mm rain, followed by Petlawad (20 mm) and Pachore (11 mm), with gusty winds reaching up to 41 km/h in Sehore.

For Bhopal and nearby areas, the weather office has forecast generally cloudy skies with light to moderate rainfall, average winds of 14-16 km/h, and temperatures of 22 degrees Celsius maximum/14 degrees Celsius minimum.

It has suggested a gradual 2-3 degrees Celsius rise in maximum temperatures after 24 hours, with no major changes over the next five days.

A feeble Western Disturbance may impact the western Himalayas from February 22.

Maximum temperatures fell appreciably by 2.2 degrees Celsius to 2.9 degrees Celsius in Bhopal, Narmadapuram, Ujjain, and Sagar divisions, but rose markedly by 6.0 degrees Celsius in Chambal division. They were below normal by 1.7 degrees Celsius to 2.2 degrees Celsius in Ujjain and Gwalior divisions, remaining normal elsewhere.

The highest maximum was 33.4 degrees Celsius in Khargone, while the lowest was 24.2 degrees Celsius in Shivpuri.

Minimum temperatures rose appreciably by 2.1 degrees Celsius to 2.8 degrees Celsius in Chambal and Rewa divisions, staying above normal by 1.6 degrees Celsius to 2.2 degrees Celsius in several divisions and appreciably above by 3.1 degrees Celsius to 3.6 degrees Celsius in others.

The lowest minimum was 10.4 degrees Celsius in Kalyanpur (Shahdol), and the highest 20.2 degrees Celsius in Kannod (Dewas).

Analysis of IMD’s temperature maps reveals regional disparities. The maximum temperature map shows warmer conditions in the southwestern districts like Khargone and Khandwa ( 33 degrees Celsius), contrasting with cooler northern areas such as Shivpuri and Datia around 24 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature map indicates colder pockets in the east-central region, including Shahdol and Umaria (10-12 degrees Celsius), while western districts like Dewas and Barwani appear milder (18-20 degrees Celsius). These patterns align with the influence of a western disturbance trough and cyclonic circulation over Haryana-Punjab.

–IANS

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