Bhopal, November 14, 2023 – In an unusual turn of weather, the capital city experienced its coldest November night during the Diwali celebrations. The mercury dipped by 1.4 degrees, settling at 14.6 degrees Celsius, and the day temperature saw a rapid decline of 3 degrees in just two days.
Meteorologists attribute this shift to an active Western Disturbance in Northern India, preventing cold winds from reaching Madhya Pradesh and keeping the entire state dry. The cool spell began on Diwali night and is expected to persist, with night temperatures potentially reaching 11 to 12 degrees Celsius by the end of November.
The weather pattern in the first 12 days of November was notably hot, with temperatures reaching 33 degrees for five days and exceeding 34 degrees for three days. Nighttime temperatures even touched 18 degrees Celsius. However, within two days, the mercury plummeted by 3.4 degrees Celsius.
Historical records highlight extremes in November weather. On November 4, 1977, the day temperature soared to an all-time high of 35.3 degrees Celsius. Conversely, on November 30, 1941, the night temperature reached a chilling 6.1 degrees Celsius.
Rainfall is not uncommon in November, as evidenced by 1936’s 134.1 mm (5.2 inches) throughout the month. The record for the highest rainfall in 24 hours stands at 76.4 mm (3 inches) on November 10, 1969.
Pachmarhi and Rajgarh experienced the coldest nights during Diwali, with temperatures dropping to 12.4 and 12.6 degrees Celsius, respectively. Other cold spots included Gwalior at 12.6 degrees Celsius and Datia at 12.7 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, Indore recorded a temperature of 17.4 degrees Celsius, Ujjain at 13.8 degrees Celsius, Betul at 13.2 degrees Celsius, Guna at 13.7 degrees Celsius, Jabalpur at 15 degrees Celsius, Nowgong at 13.3 degrees Celsius, Malanjkhand at 13.7 degrees Celsius, Narsinghpur at 18.2 degrees Celsius, and Sidhi and Tikamgarh with night temperatures exceeding 17 degrees Celsius.
