People shiver as cold wave continues

People, especially the poor and workers, have been facing immense difficulties in leading normal lives for the last several days as the bone-biting cold wave with chilly wind and dense fog continued to sweep across the country.

The temperature of the country dropped rapidly in the last couple of days, recording the season’s lowest temperature at 7.8 degrees Celsius in Jashore and Chuadanga on Sunday.

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

The lowest temperature in Dhaka city was recorded at 12.3 degrees Celsius on the day while it was 11.5 degrees Celsius on Saturday.

People in the capital felt lower intensity of the cold wave when sunlight appeared in the afternoon, but other parts of the country experienced previous bites of cold waves on Sunday.

Most of the people stayed inside their homes to save themselves from the bone-biting cold wave. Sales of warm clothes, room heaters, water heaters, hot pots and different products have risen due to the cold wave.

The current cold wave has been sweeping over at least 21 districts in four divisions of the country.

A mild to moderate cold wave is sweeping over Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions and the districts of Tangail, Faridpur, Manikganj, Jashore, Chuadanga, Satkhira and Kushtia districts and it may continue, said a meteorologist of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).

Night temperature may remain nearly unchanged and day temperature may rise slightly over the country, said the BMD.

People are feeling moderate to severe cold waves due to reduced difference between day and night temperatures, it said.

Despite some improvement in the conditions in some parts of the country, the Met Office predicted severe cold across the country for four more days due to thick fog and wind from the northern parts of the country.

Temperature between 8 and 10 degrees Celsius is considered a mild cold wave, 6 and 8 degrees Celsius a moderate cold wave and less than 6 degrees Celsius a severe cold wave.

Moderate to thick fog has been sweeping over the country from midnight till morning and it may continue, said BMD.

The situation is grave particularly in the northern, northwestern and central parts of the country where people are experiencing inadequate sunlight coupled with severe cold wave.

People living in the open and public spaces like bus and railway stations, day labourers and slum dwellers are most vulnerable to cold snap as they cannot afford warm clothes.

The cold spell has triggered cold-related diseases, including pneumonia, asthma and respiratory complications, in the northern districts.

The number of patients with cough, asthma and other cold-related diseases has marked a sharp rise in different areas of the northern region, hospital sources said.

The number of pneumonia and diarrhoea patients, mostly children and elderly people, continues to increase due to the bone-chilling cold.

Source: Daily Sun