Rains likely to usher in another cold snap in February

Bangladesh is bracing for a prolonged winter as a spell of rains is expected to precipitate another cold snap in February, according to the Met Office.

“Rainfall is expected to decrease by Saturday. Subsequently, a mild cold wave may sweep across the country in two days, potentially lasting two to three days,” Meteorologist Bazlur Rashid said on Friday.

The Met Office considers temperatures below 6 degrees Celsius in large parts of the country to be a severe cold wave. Temperatures between 6-8 degrees Celsius are classified as a moderate cold wave, while temperatures between 8-10 degrees Celsius are considered a mild cold wave.

In the last 24 hours, Panchagarh's Tetulia recorded the country's lowest temperature at 10.4 degrees Celcius.

Light to moderate rain is likely to hit parts of the Khulna, Dhaka, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions, along with a few places in the Rajshahi division on Friday. The rest of the country is expected to see partly cloudy skies.

Moderate to dense fog is expected to envelop the country from midnight to morning, possibly disrupting maritime communication.

Looking ahead, the forecast suggests one to two mild cold waves might occur in the north, west, and northwestern parts of Bangladesh in the first half of February.

However, both day and night temperatures are expected to rise gradually.

Parts of Bangladesh experienced three phases of mild to moderate cold waves in January, with the season's lowest temperature of 5 degrees Celsius recorded in Tetulia on Jan 28.

January's maximum temperatures were 2 degrees Celsius below the seasonal average, with the average temperature one degree below normal. The minimum temperatures were on par with the seasonal average.

Normal rainfall is expected throughout February, with potential thunderstorms towards the month's end.