Chill and wet weather spike seasonal ailments, Met warns of fresh rain spell

Bhopal: The chill factor continued to impact the city weather on Saturday, with both the overnight and day temperatures recorded at slightly above normal. According to the regional meteorological centre, the state might experience fresh spells of rain from Sunday, bringing an element of dampness to the cold. While forecasting wet weather for a few districts starting this weekend, the Met also put out a fog warning for some other parts of the state.Meanwhile, the day temperature in Bhopal on Saturday was recorded at 26.6 degrees Celsius, a degree more than the normal mark, while the night temperature settled at 12 degrees Celsius, a degree more than normal. Katni was coldest in the state on Saturday, with a minimum temperature of 5.3 degrees Celsius, heavy fog shrouded Gwalior, Rewa, Datia, Sidhi and Satna districts. Compounding the woes for Guna residents, the district also received 0.1 mm of rainfall.The Met forecast partly cloudy skies on Sunday, with the day and night temperatures likely to be 27 and 13 degrees respectively, combined with a slight uptick in the average wind speed at 14 kmph. Showers or drizzles accompanied by thunderstorms were also forecast for Vidisha, Rajgarh, Ratlam, Agar, Mandsaur, Neemuch, Guna, Ashoknagar, Shivpuri, Gwalior, Datia, Bhind, Morena, Sheopur, Damoh and Sagar districts.Meanwhile, the sudden dip in temperatures, combined with intermittent rains and persistently poor air quality has triggered a sharp spike in seasonal ailments across the state capital.Government-run Hamidia hospital reported 2,000–2,500 patients daily in its outpatient department, most complaining of cough, cold, sore throat, and breathing difficulties.Doctors say the spike is not just routine. The city's AQI has hovered above 200 for days, placing it in the ‘poor' category. Fine particulate matter trapped by fog and cold winds is aggravating respiratory infections and worsening chronic conditions, doctors said."We are witnessing a rise in patients with upper respiratory infections, many of whom already suffer from asthma or bronchitis. Infections can worsen existing conditions and, in some cases, may act as triggers for neurological problems like epilepsy. Patients with chronic illnesses should exercise extra caution," Dr Rohit Joshi, a paediatric neurologist at Bansal hospital, told TOI, adding, "Recurring viral infections are not just seasonal irritants—they can have long term impacts on vulnerable patients.""Weather instability, combined with air pollution, is pushing OPD numbers beyond normal winter averages," district civil surgeon, Dr Sanjay Jain, told TOI.Health officials said a combination of rain, fog, and cold winds has resulted in the suspension of pollutants close to the surface, worsening exposure. Normally, rain clears the air, but in Bhopal, post rain dampness has intensified the problem, experts said.