Despite the calendar signalling the onset of winter and dry weather, recent rains induced by Cyclone Michaung have defied the typical seasonal expectations.
Meteorologist Md Bazlur Rashid told Dhaka Tribune temperatures would drop once the impact of the cyclone subsided.
However, the mercury will likely not go below 14-15°C in Dhaka this year. Even if it does, the lowest the temperature might be is 12°C . The current spell of rainfall continued till early Friday.
Md Bazlur Rashid of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department said that it was drizzling on Wednesday. Still, it had been raining heavily all over the country since Thursday morning, including in Dhaka.
Winter in the capital
Bazlur stressed that winter temperatures would be noticeable only after the impact of the cyclone was over. He added that Friday's temperature was low owing to rain, and it would drop further overnight.
However, the meteorologist said that people would only start to experience wintery cold weather towards the end of December, primarily in the northern region, persisting until January.
About Dhaka, Bazlur said winter temperatures in Dhaka were likely to stay between 14 and 15 degrees Celsius this year. In freezing weather, it may drop to 12-13°C , but it is unlikely to go any lower.
A temperature of 8-10°C is considered a mild cold wave, 6-8 degrees is a moderate cold wave, and anything less than 6 degrees is a severe cold wave.
Chittagong recorded the highest rainfall in the 24 hours till 6pm on Friday at 29mm, while Dhaka saw 13mm of rain. On Thursday, the highest rainfall was in Jessore at 77mm, while the capital saw 46mm of rain.
Meanwhile, the lowest temperature, 17.2°C , during the same period was in Dinajpur, and the mercury dropped as low as 19.5 degrees in Dhaka.
This year's lowest temperature was recorded at 5.6°C at Sreemangal of Moulvibazar on January 20, while it was 9.5°C in Chuadanga on December 16 last year.
Mercury dropped to 4°C in Sreemangal on January 11, 2013. One of the coldest areas in the country, the upazila had logged a temperature of 2.8°C in 1964.
Rice cakes on roadsides in Dhaka
Despite the weather not being that cold in the capital, the sale of winter delicacies, such as pitha-puli (rice cakes), had already started in various neighbourhoods and roadsides, said Meteorologist Bazlur Rashid.
Akbar Ali, who sets up a rickshaw van next to a kitchen market in Dhanmondi, said the rain had affected his business for the past two days, adding that he usually sold a variety of rice cakes during winter, including Chitoi Pitha, Patisapta, Bhapa Pitha, and Malpua.
Despite the challenges, the season brings good income, and he dedicates this time solely to his business.
Salma Begum, who runs a shop in Kalabagan, mentioned that the downpour had damaged her mud stove, forcing her to close her shop temporarily.
She said rain was unfavourable for everyone and could be a curse for some.
On the other side of the fence, social media users shared pictures of different types of meals to celebrate the rainy day. Some posted images of them enjoying snacks like Chanachur and Jhalmuri, while others cooked ilish and vegetable khichuri to welcome the cold.
However, for low-income people like Nahar, who lives on a footpath in Azimpur, rain brings suffering, not joy, disrupting their makeshift shelters and making their survival challenging, especially for children.
Meanwhile, volunteers in India waded through stagnant water to hand out food and supplies, and some manufacturing plants remained shut in Chennai on Friday, four days after cyclone Michaung lashed the coast, as the local weather agency forecast more rainfall in the city. On Tuesday afternoon, the cyclone had made landfall further north in Andhra Pradesh state.
The remaining effects of the cyclone continued to influence the formation of clouds in the North Bay of Bengal and the adjacent coastal areas of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has faced three cyclones this year, with Cyclone Mocha making landfall on May 14, Cyclone Hamoon hitting the Chittagong-Cox's Bazar coast on October 24, and Cyclone Midhili making landfall on November 17. Subsequently, Cyclone Michaung affected India's coast.