As the country reels from a mild cold wave, the temperature in 16 districts dropped below 11°C.
Adding to the woes of people, specifically daily wage earners and the homeless, rainfall may occur in some places of Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Khulna and Barisal divisions on Thursday, according to a Met Office forecast.
Cold-related diseases are increasing in many highly-affected districts, with many deaths already reported. Additionally, not only is the biting cold hampering daily life, dense fog too has been causing road accidents and flight disruptions.
Meanwhile, a vessel capsized on the Dhaka-Paturia route in the Padma River at Paturia of Manikganj on Wednesday morning. Foggy weather was primarily blamed for the accident.
The weather may remain mainly dry with a temporary partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country, said a 24-hour forecast of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) commencing at 9am on Wednesday.
Of all divisions, the bone-chilling cold weather deepened in Chittagong on Wednesday, when the country’s lowest temperature was recorded at 9.4°C in Bandarban, followed by 9.5°C in Sitakunda upazila of Chittagong.
Wednesday’s third, fourth and fifth lowest temperature was measured in Sreemangal upazila of Sylhet (9.6°C), Barisal (9.7°C) and jointly in Chuadanga and Pabna’s Ishurdi Upazila (9.8°C), respectively.
The other areas that witnessed less than 11°C are: Gopalganj (10.4°C), Bhola and Faridpur (10.5°C), Kumarkhali Upazila of Kushtia and Nikli Upazila of Kishoreganj (10.6°C), Feni, Chittagong’s Sandwip Upazila and Panachagarh (10.7°C), and Jessore and Madaripur (10.8°C).
Dhaka’s lowest temperature was 13.1°C on Wednesday.
Moderate to thick fog may occur over the country from tonight to next morning and may continue till tomorrow noon at places, the BMD said in the forecast.
“Air navigation, inland river transport and road communication may be disrupted temporarily due to fog,” it added.
However, temperature fluctuations are also predicted, with the night temperature likely to increase by 1-2°C and a slight rise in the daytime temperature across the country.
The cold weather will prevail across the country as a ridge of sub-continental high extends up to West Bengal, India and the adjoining northwestern part of Bangladesh, according to the Met Office. A seasonal low lies over the South Bay.
The prevailing foggy conditions might also contribute to cold day scenarios in various places throughout Bangladesh. Citizens are advised to stay updated with the latest weather reports and plan their activities accordingly.
Considering the freezing temperature in many areas, the government on Tuesday allowed the shutdown of secondary schools if the highest temperature of the districts they are located in is below 10°C.
According to meteorological standards, temperatures ranging from 8-10°C signify a mild cold wave, 6-8°C a moderate one, and below 6°C a severe cold wave.
