Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Foggy mornings, dull days, and nippy evenings – this is how Bhopal’s weather conditions in January can be limned. Yet, the winter in the city is not as fierce as it is in other parts of the state as well as in the country. So, as says Kalidas, one can ignore the cold and enjoy that warmth which Bhopal offers.
Winter begins to spread its filmy veil from mid-November and continues till late February or often till early March, when nights are cool and days a little warm. Fog dulls the mornings and the citizens prefer to stay in beds to go out at this hour of the day. But a gentle breeze, though a little nippy, slowly lifts the morning mist, and as the day rolls on, the sun sloughs off its bed to bless the residents with warmth and comfort.
The icy days do not last long. The city recorded 4 °C in 1991, say weather reports of that year. Similarly, in January 2011, the lowest temperature the city recorded was 2.3 °C. However icy the mornings and nights may have been on those days, the day temperature hovered between 18 and 20 °C. On December 17 last year, the lowest temperature the city recorded was 3.8°C.
On the other hand, the cities, like Lucknow and many other parts of the country, witness thick fog, and the bright sun remains out of sight often for several days. Bhopal’s weather, but for a few days in May, is more or less comfortable, which its residents bask in. Its fine clime induces an outsider to fall in love with the city. With the advent of February, the city’s weather conditions change.
Cooing of cuckoos heralds the arrival of the spring. This is the time when Mother Nature dresses up her favourite child like a bride. If an outsider visits the city this time, he is bound to fall in love with it forever. The spring sets aglow Amaltas (golden shower), Gulmohar, bougainvillaea, and Palash (Flame of the Forest) trees. In other state capitals, one has to go out to enjoy such beauty, but Bhopal has enough to give its residents and visitors.
The spring wears off. The fierce summer days arrive in mid-March and continue till early June when even the mornings, evenings and nights are not comfortable. The asphalt roads melt. The day temperature may reach 45 °C, which, in May 2010 and in 2016, soared to 46°C. The summer was fiercer than many other hot days in early June 2019, when the city recorded 46.7°C.
In May, 2023, the city’s temperature was 43.3°C. The city also witnesses cyclones from April to December, but as it is far from the coast, the storms do not hit it with full force, but they often lead to rainfall. When heat reaches its peak and the residents pray for some relief, Mother Nature cuddles the city with her gentle hands. Then the monsoon arrives with all its drum beats and soothing music.
The rain settles the dust raised by the dry summer winds and garnishes the hillocks with green tinge. Waterfalls near the city become vibrant at this time of the year. The rainy season, which arrives in June, continues till mid-September. As the rain drenches the city, the weather becomes soothing, turning the woods green. The rain cloud slowly changes its tune, and autumn sets in. Although one can visit Bhopal anytime, except for a few days in summer, the best time to travel to the city is from November to February.
February and March are slightly hot, but if holidaymakers really want to enjoy the spring, this is the right time to pitch in their camps on the banks of the Upper Lake to enjoy a balmy breeze liberating the wild fragrance and the languid perfection of the day waning to quivering twilight.
