Lowest temperature in 4 decades

Bangladesh has, like neighbouring India , recorded the lowest temperature in over four decades amidst a raging cold wave.

The mercury fell to 3.2 degrees Celsius in the northern town of Dinajpur on Wednesday morning -- the lowest since 1968, Bangladesh Meteorological Department’s senior official Rasheduzzaman told bdnews24.com.

He said capital Dhaka recorded 7.2 degrees Celsius on Wednesday morning, the lowest since 1964.

The lowest temperature in the country's history was recorded at 2.8 degrees Celsius in Srimangal in 1968, when Bangladesh was East Pakistan.

Dinajpur Met office official Arjit Roy told bdnews24.com that on Tuesday the district recorded its lowest temperature at 6.5 degrees Celsius.

In neighbouring India, the entire northern region is also shivering under a cold wave with sub-zero temperatures in cities like Lucknow reported for the first time. West Bengal also felt the shivers with the mercury dipping to 3 degrees Celsius in the districts of Purulia, Burdwan, Birbhum and Jalpaiguri in northern Bengal. More than 100 people, mostly poor and homeless, have died in the cold wave.

The Bengali winter season spans over two months, Poush and Magh. Usually, temperature dips during the end of Poush and beginning of Magh, but this year, Met officials expect the cold spells to continue until the end of Magh.

The Met office on Jan 3 said several cold spells were expected over a vast swathe of Bangladesh in January, the first of which hit the country on Sunday.

The office’s senior official Sadiqul Alam told bdnews24.com on Tuesday that extreme cold is experienced in Pabna, Dinajpur, Syedpur, Tangail and Kushtia with temperatures falling below 6 degrees Celsius while temperatures in Rajshahi, Rangpur, Jessore, Srimangal and some parts of the Dhaka division was oscillating between 8 and 6 degrees Celsius.

Alam said that the spell might continue for a day or two.

In its forecast for Jan 8-14, the Met office said temperature might drop to 3.5 degrees Celsius in some parts of the country. During this time, weather across the country is expected to remain mainly dry with partly cloudy sky. Heavy to moderate fog may cover Rangpur, Dhaka, Sylhet and Rajshahi division and the river basins across the country from late night to noon. Mild to moderate fog may dominate other parts of the country during this time.

On Tuesday, Pabna’s Ishwardi recorded 4.9 degrees Celsius.

Earlier in December, Bangladesh has suffered two cold waves -- the first one between Dec 21-31 when the lowest temperature recorded on Dec 30 was 5.7 degrees Celsius in Sitakunda.

Another moderate cold wave during the previous month had made the lives of the poor in Bangladesh's northern and middle regions miserable. The Bangladesh Bank had ordered all commercial banks to provide warm clothes to the poor and destitute. Ferries have been routinely disrupted due to heavy winter fog.

However, the Met office had hinted temperature may rise during February.