There is more bad news for people reeling under thick fog and chilly winds for over two days now. The real bite of the winter is waiting on the wings to sweep the country after January 20, a senior meteorologist said on Thursday. When the fog clears, probably after some rains, the cold winds from the snow-capped Himalayas will sweep the country, pushing the mercury further down by 4-6 degrees Celsius, the meteorologist warned.
The cold waves will be between severe and moderate in the north western, northern, north eastern, south western and central regions of Bangladesh, the met office had earlier warned.
On Thursday, the lowest temperature of 10° Celsius in the country was recorded at the south-eastern island of Kutubdia, while the maximum was 28° Celsius in north-eastern Sylhet.
With the sun playing hide and seek in the midst of heavy fog, it made for a miserable day in Dhaka. The situation was particularly bad for the homeless and poor people living on pavements, or taking shelter at railway stations and bus terminals.
The weather continued to take its toll on the vulnerable people like the children and elderly, who have been suffering from cold-related diseases such as flu, pneumonia, asthma and diarrhoea since the onset of winter. Dhaka Shishu Hospital and Dhaka Medical College Hospital continued to see a rush of patients, most of them were slum dwellers. Rural health complexes, too, have reported similar situations.
According to the met office, the weather in the next 24 hours (beginning 6 pm on Thursday) may remain dry with partly cloudy sky in the country. The night temperature may remain unchanged, but the day temperature may rise slightly, the forecast added.
Courtesy of The Independent
