Large parts of Madhya Pradesh are reeling under a cold wave, with Khajuraho, a popular tourist destination in Chhatarpur district recording the lowest minimum temperature of three degrees Celsius, the IMD said on Thursday.
It said that 24 weather stations in the state recorded minimum temperature in the range of three to 10 degrees Celsius in the last 24 hours ending 8.30 am.
The India Meteorological Department's (IMD) forecast on Thursday said that severe cold wave conditions are likely to continue at isolated places in Chhatarpur and Datia districts till Friday morning.
Similarly, cold waves are expected to prevail over some parts of Rewa, Gwalior and Chambal divisions, besides Raisen, Umaria, Tikamgarh and Sagar districts till Friday morning, it said.
Ten districts, including Indore, Jabalpur, Ujjain Chhatarpur and Tikamgarh are likely to experience a cold day on Thursday, in which the minimum temperature dips to ten degree Celsius or below, it said.
Light or moderate fog might engulf isolated places of Chhatarpur, Balaghat, Rewa, Satna and Gwalior, the forecast valid till Friday morning said.
"Severe cold wave prevailed in Dhar and Khajuraho, while Guna, Ratlam, Raisen, Sagar, Satna, Sidhi and Tikamgarh districts shivered with cold in the last 24 hours," G D Mishra, a senior meteorologist with IMD's Bhopal office, said.
Minimum temperature ranging between three and ten degrees Celsius was recorded at IMD's 24 stations located across Madhya Pradesh, he added.
"The lowest minimum temperature of three degrees Celsius was recorded at the tourist place of Khajuraho," Mishra said.
P K Saha, another senior meteorologist with IMD Bhopal, said that people in the state are expected to start getting respite from the biting cold on Saturday.
Giving an example, he said the minimum temperature of Bhopal, which was 5.8 degrees Celsius on Wednesday morning, rose to 8.2 degrees Celsius on Thursday morning, indicating that the chill has started subsiding gradually.
