Heavy rains battered Dhaka from early Monday, bringing a biting cold down on the capital as Cyclone Sitrang continued its approach.
The storm was expected to make landfall in Barisal on Tuesday, according to the Met Office. A depression over the east-central Bay and adjoining areas moved north-eastwards and intensified into a deep depression first and then into Cyclonic Storm Sitrang.
Day and night temperatures may fall by 1-3°C across the country as a result of the rains.
Rain normally brings traffic in Dhaka to a standstill as waterlogging slows movement on many roads. However, there was little in the way of traffic congestion yesterday as most people elected to stay out of the cold and dreary weather.
Most street hawkers did not set up their stalls and day labourers were left without work as a result of the rain.
Md Ashraf, operations manager of Alif Paribahan, told UNB the pressure of passengers had been low throughout the day.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Joint Commissioner (Traffic North) Abu Raihan Mohammad Saleh said there were few vehicles on the roads and the traffic situation was almost normal.
The Met Office predicted light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally winds at most places over Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions in the next 24 hours.
Chittagong and Cox's Bazar were advised to hoist danger signal no six.
The coastal districts of Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jhalokathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barisal, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni and their adjacent islands and chars were under danger signal seven.
