Life is made difficult by the cold

Shining BD Desk || Shining BD

Published: 1/8/2023 5:12:00 AM

With the temperature plunging to as low as 8.4 degrees Celsius in Chuadanga on Saturday, people are still suffering from the bone-chilling cold all over the country, including the capital.

The shivering cold coupled with dense fog disrupted normal life and caused immense sufferings for people of all ages.

The cold snap turned hard particularly for the poor, homeless who mostly sleep on pavements and the elderly.

The dip in temperatures also caused disruptions to rail, air and road transport as well as business activities while children and elderly people were being affected by different cold-related diseases, including pneumonia.

The temperature in the capital dipped further with the season’s lowest temperature 11.5 degrees Celsius recorded on Saturday, said Monowar Hossain, a meteorologist at the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD). The highest temperature of Dhaka was 15.4 degrees Celsius.

The lowest temperature in Dhaka was 12 degrees Celsius on Friday, 12.5 degrees on Thursday, 14.1 degrees on Wednesday and 14.5 degrees Tuesday.

The mercury plummeted to as low as 8 degrees Celsius in Dhaka in 2013 and 10 degrees Celsius in 2018 and 2016, he said.

The situation was particularly severe in northern, northwestern and central parts of the country where people were experiencing inadequate sunlight amid moderate to severe cold conditions.

The intensity of the cold is severe due to the reduced difference between the lowest and highest temperature, Monowar said.

Country’s lowest temperature was recorded at 8.4 degrees Celsius in Chuadanga on Saturday while it was 9.0 degrees Celsius also in Chuadanga on Friday.

Temperature has been dipping in most parts of the country since January 3 and a mild cold wave is sweeping over 11 places on Saturday, Monowar said.

He said the current cold spell may continue for 2-3 more days while another moderate cold wave may sweep through the country this month.

The temperature between 8 and 10 degrees Celsius is considered a mild cold wave while 6 and 8 degrees Celsius a moderate cold wave and less than 6 degrees Celsius a severe cold wave.

Moderate to thick fog is occurring over the country from midnight till morning and it may continue, said the BMD.

A mild cold wave is sweeping over the districts of Naogaon, Dinajpur, Panchagarh, Jashore and Chuadanga and it may continue, it said.

Siraj Hossain, a rickshaw-puller, told the Daily Sun that the number of passengers has decreased due to the bone-chilling cold.

People living in open and public spaces like bus and railway stations, day labourers and slum dwellers were suffering much for shortage of warm clothes and most of the time they have to stay idle for lack of work.

The number of patients with cough, fever, asthma and related diseases marked a rise amid the shivering cold, hospital sources said.

Many stayed indoors unless there was any emergency to protect them from the bone-biting cold.

Thick fog also disrupted flight operations, vehicular movement and ferry and launch services across the country.

Shining BD