Mild cold wave sweeps country; lowest temp 6.9oC in Tetulia

Cold winter morning desist people from taking to the road in Rangpur.

Dhaka, Feb 6 – A mild cold wave sweeping seven districts and Sitakunda upazila of Chattogram district may continue, according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).

“Mild cold wave is sweeping Nilphamari, Panchagarh, Kurigram, Jashore, Chuadanga, Pabna, Moulvibazar districts and Sitakunda upazila and it may continue and spread over the surrounding area,” said a Met office bulletin.

Weather may remain dry with temporary partly cloudy sky over the country.

Moderate to thick fog may occur over north-western part and the river basins and light to moderate fog may occurelsewhere over the country during mid-night to morning, it said.

Night temperature may fall slightly and day temperature may rise slightly over the country.

A Ridge of Sub-continental high extends up to West Bengal and adjoining area. Seasonal low lies over South Bay, extending its trough to Northeast Bay.

The lowest temperature in the district was recorded at 06.9 degrees Celsius on Sunday.

The normal life of local people has been disrupted due to the bone-chilling cold, causing immense sufferings to the people especially the daily wagers.

Ashraf Ali of Boda upazila, said “I could not go out of home for the last three days due to severe cold and I failed to manage food for my family members due.”

Mohammad Russel Shah, in-charge officer of Tetulia Weather Observatory Centre, said country’s lowest temperature has been recorded in Panchagarh today at 6.9 degrees Celsius and it may persists for few more days.

The lowest temperature of the country dropped to 6.9 degrees Celsius at Tetulia, exposing the poor, elderly people and children to intense miseries there today as elsewhere in the northern region. 

The Met Office sources said the minimum temperatures dropped by one to three degrees Celsius in the last 24 hours ending at 9 am today following rainfalls on Friday and Saturday in the region. 

Besides, the minimum temperatures recorded today were 10.2 degrees Celsius each at Rangpur and Dinajpur, 9.5 degrees at Saidpur, 9.2 degrees Celsius at Dimla and 9.4 degrees Celsius at Rajarhat monitoring points in the region. 

Meanwhile, the maximum temperatures remained mostly unchanged at most places during the same period in the northern region. 

The weather marked slight improvement as the sun appeared in the northern districts since noon bringing easiness to common people for about four hours.

However, the sun again went behind clouds and thick layers of fog after 4 pm when the weather started becoming cooler forcing most people to return home and stay indoors.      

Dense layers of clouds and fog amid blowing cooler winds started causing a chilling cold, exposing the poor, elder citizens and minor children to extreme miseries since late this afternoon. 

Divisional Director (Health) Dr. Abu Md. Zakirul Islam said doctors continued to treat higher number of people with cough, fever, asthma and other cold- related diseases at the hospitals and health facilities today like in recent days. 

“We have adequate stock of medicines and special steps were taken at the government-run health facilities to treat cold-related patients, including babies and children,” he added.  

Officials at hospitals, upazila health complexes and community clinics said the number of patients with cough, fever; asthma and other cold- related diseases continued increasing today like in recent days. 

Divisional Commissioner Md. Abdul Wahhab Bhuiyan said that distribution of warm clothes continues among cold- hit distressed people in all eight northern districts under Rangpur division. 

At the same time, different political, 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 sweeping cold wave and recent rainfalls did not cause any major harm to the growing Rabi crop plants.

“The field level DAE officials are assisting farmers to take proper care of growing Rabi crop plants and Boro rice seedlings in the region where transplantation of Boro rice seedlings continues in full swing despite the cold wave,” he added. – GreenWatch News Desk with