Madhya Pradesh continues to grapple with an unprecedented spell of extreme weather, as soaring temperatures, hailstorms, and thunderstorms disrupt daily life and take a toll on both humans and wildlife. In a tragic development, over two dozen peacocks were reported dead in Indore, allegedly due to the scorching heat, with the toll expected to rise as more cases emerge.
On Wednesday, intense rainfall and hailstorms lashed parts of Chhindwara and Pandhurna, toppling trees and disrupting movement. The conditions eased by Thursday, offering temporary respite, but not before wreaking havoc in several regions. According to the Meteorological Department, this erratic pattern—fueled by a Western Disturbance and associated cyclonic circulation—is expected to persist for the next three days.
Meanwhile, blistering heat continues to smother other regions. Ratlam and Rajgarh topped the temperature charts on Thursday with a scorching 44.2°C, followed closely by Narmadapuram (43.3°C), Talun in Barwani (43.1°C), and Tikamgarh and Dhar, where temperatures breached the 42°C mark. Bhopal recorded a high of 41.3°C during the day and a sweltering 25°C at night, making conditions especially uncomfortable.
Amid rising heat-related illnesses, schools across several districts including Bhopal, Ratlam, Shivpuri, Ujjain, and Neemuch have revised timings, closing by 12 noon for students up to Class 8.
In Indore, residents of Kalindi Kunj, Ralamandal, and Radio Colony have reported multiple peacock deaths attributed to heat stress. While locals claim over two dozen fatalities, zoo in-charge Dr. Uttam Yadav confirmed only two deaths due to extreme heat.
Weather alerts issued on Thursday underscore the state’s climate volatility. Heatwaves, warm nights, thunderstorms, gusty winds, and hailstorms are forecast across various districts, with different regions experiencing drastically contrasting conditions.
Dhar, Ujjain, and Damoh are expected to endure a mix of heatwaves and warm nights, while Ratlam, Mandsaur, Neemuch, Guna, and Rajgarh brace for intense heat. Parts of Chhindwara, Balaghat, and Pandhurna are likely to witness thunderstorms, lightning, gusty winds reaching up to 50 km/h, and hail.
As the state struggles to cope with this erratic weather, authorities are urging residents to remain alert and follow safety guidelines, especially in rural and forested areas where the impact on wildlife has been severe.
In districts like Ashoknagar and Shivpuri, meteorologists have predicted a complex weather mix, including both heatwave conditions and thunderstorms accompanied by lightning — an unusual phenomenon that reflects the increasingly unpredictable nature of the region’s climate. Meanwhile, areas such as Narmadapuram, Chhatarpur, Tikamgarh, and Niwari are forecast to endure an even more severe combination: heatwaves, warm nights, and thunderstorms, raising concerns for both public health and infrastructure resilience.
The stormier eastern and southern belts of the state, including Chhindwara, Seoni, Mandla, Balaghat, and Pandhurna, remain under a heightened alert for thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds reaching 40-50 km/h. In addition to these intense storms, the possibility of hail poses further threats to crops and property, especially in agrarian pockets already struggling with unpredictable weather this season.
Thunderstorm activity, without hail but with similar wind speeds, is also predicted in the northern districts of Gwalior, Datia, Bhind, Morena, as well as in eastern parts like Singrauli, Sidhi, Rewa, and Mauganj. In Shahdol, Anuppur, Umaria, and Dindori, milder storms with winds of 30–40 km/h are expected to cause minor disruptions.
