Shivering cold to continue; Lowest temp 6.1oC at Rajarhat

Fog reduces visibility on a road in Panchagarh. UNB

A mild to moderate cold wave sweeping over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions and the districts of Gopalgonj, Tangail, Kishoregonj, Feni, Jashore, Kushtia, Chuadanga and Barishal may continue.

Weather may remain dry over Bangladesh, said a met release issued for 24-hour commencing at 9am on Satuday.  

Moderate to thick fog may occur in north-western part and light to moderate fog may occur at some places elsewhere over the country during midnight to morning.

Night and day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country, Met office said.

The lowest temperature of the country was recorded at 6.8˚C at Tetulia in Panchagarh on Sunday morning.

The Met office has recorded 13.0 ˚C temperatures in Dhaka while the country's highest temperature was recorded 23.7˚C in Kutubdia.

The people of outlying districts as well as the residents of Dhaka are feeling the pinch of winter in the last couple of days due to the dip in mercury.

Most people preferred to stay indoors due to the shivering cold and it is difficult for the day labourers to stay inside as they have to hand to mouth.

On Saturday country's minimum temperature was 7 degrees Celsius at Rajarhat and Sayedpur while the maximum temperature of 25.5 degrees Celsius was recorded at Cox's Bazar.

The lowest temperature in the country dropped to 6.1 degrees Celsius at the Rajarhat in Kurigram on Friday exposing the poor, elderly people and children to intense miseries.

The Met Office sources said the mercury levels sharply dropped in the northern region in the last 24 hours ending at 9 am forcing common people to remain indoors since the morning.

The country's lowest temperature of 6.1 degrees Celsius was recorded at Rajarhat monitoring point at 6 am.

Besides, the minimum temperatures recorded were 8 degrees Celsius at Rangpur, 8.3 degrees Celsius at Dinajpur, 7.8 degrees at Saidpur, 7.2 degrees at Tentulia and 8 degrees Celsius at Dimla monitoring points in the region.

Dense layers of fog amid blowing cooler winds caused bone-chilling cold exposing the poor, elder citizens and minor children to extreme miseries till this noon.

However, the situation marked a little improvement with the appearance of the sun at noon though the normal life remained severely affected till 11 am.

The Divisional Director (Health) Dr. Abu Md. Zakirul Islam said doctors continued to treat large numbers of people with cough, fever, asthma and other cold-related complications at health facilities in the region in recent days.

"We have adequate stock of medicines in the hospitals and other health facilities and special steps were taken at the government-run health facilities to treat cold-affected patients, including children," he added.

Officials at hospitals, upazila health complexes and community clinics said the number of patients with cough, fever; asthma continued increase for the few days.

Divisional Commissioner Md. Abdul Wahhab Bhuiyan said that distribution of warm clothes continued among cold-hit distressed people in the northern region.

"The government has sanctioned adequate blankets for distribution among the cold-affected people of Nilphamari, Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts in Rangpur division," he added.

Besides, the government has allocated money for all eight districts in the division to purchase warm clothes and distribute those among cold-hit people.

Different voluntary, professional, socio-cultural and charitable organizations, trade bodies and other institutions are distributing warm clothes among the cold-stricken people to mitigate their sufferings.

Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md. Mahbubur Rahman said the cold wave might affect normal growth of different Rabi crop plants if the situation further deteriorates.

"The field level sub-assistant agriculture officers are assisting farmers to take proper care of Rabi crop plants and Boro rice seedlings," he said, adding that transplantation of Boro rice seedlings continued smoothly despite the cold wave.

According to reports reaching here from remote and char villages in Kurigram, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Rangpur and Nilphamari districts said that normal life remained severely affected till noon today. 

The sun sets at 5.42 pm today and rises at 6.41 am tomorrow in the capital. - News Desk with agency