Morning sun brings relief after days of chilly fog

Light fog continues in Dhaka, but clear skies bring a break to the winter chill

Sunlight broke through the fog in Dhaka around 8am on Saturday, offering some relief after a foggy start to the year. The previous day saw sunlight only by midday.

Reduced wind speed on Saturday lessened the intensity of the cold, providing a slight respite for residents of the capital.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department forecast for the next 24 hours suggests partly cloudy skies and generally dry weather across the country, with moderate to dense fog expected in some areas.

At 6am, the temperature in Dhaka and surrounding areas was recorded at 15.2 degrees Celsius. It may drop as low as 13 degrees Celsius later in the day, according to the Met Office.

The January weather outlook indicates one to two moderate to severe cold waves may sweep across Bangladesh this month, with regions in the west, north, and northeast likely to experience significant drops in temperature.

Meteorologist Bazlur Rashid told bdnews24.com: “This foggy condition will persist for another two to three days, maintaining the current chill. After the fog clears, nighttime temperatures may drop further, leading to cold waves.”

He added that nighttime temperatures could dip below 10 degrees Celsius after Jan 6-7, and light to drizzling rain may occur in the northern districts, including Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Rangpur, and Kurigram, after Jan 10.

The regular morning weather bulletin highlighted that dense fog from midnight to noon might disrupt air, river, and road transport.

Nighttime temperatures will likely remain stable, while daytime temperatures may decrease by 1-2 degrees Celsius.

Dense fog during the day could intensify the sensation of cold in some areas, the bulletin added.

In meteorological terms, a mild cold wave is recorded when temperatures range between 8.1 degrees and 10 degrees Celsius.