Bangladesh’s winter set to end with mild cold wave, fog, late-February storms

Mild cold wave is likely early in the month, followed by rising temperatures and storms, the Met Office says

Bangladesh’s short winter is expected to bow out in February, but not before one last nip in the air and a burst of thunder at the month’s end, forecasters say.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has warned of a mild cold wave over parts of the country in the first half of the month, followed by gradually rising temperatures and the chance of one or two days of thunderstorms, including hail, later on.

Meteorologist Md Tariful Newaz Kabir told bdnews24.com on Sunday night that in meteorological terms, December, January and February together constitute winter in Bangladesh.

“Pre-monsoon conditions usually begin towards the end of February,” he said. “Both day and night temperatures will gradually rise during the month and may remain normal to above normal.”

In its one-month outlook, the Met Office said a mild cold wave may sweep the northern, western and north-western regions in early February.

During that spell, moderate to dense fog is likely over river basins, with light to moderate fog elsewhere, according to the forecast.

In the second half of the month, isolated thunderstorms — some possibly accompanied by hail — may occur on one or two days in different parts of the country.

Kabir noted that temperatures in some areas were already hovering around 10°C and could dip slightly further, turning into a mild cold wave at the start of the month.

“After that, temperatures will rise, and pre-monsoon conditions may begin towards the end of February,” he said. “Thunderstorms are common during the pre-monsoon period, so there is a possibility of such weather for one or two days late in the month.”

Over the 24 hours to Sunday, the Met Office recorded the country’s lowest temperature at 10.2°C in Chuadanga and the highest at 32.5°C in Teknaf.

The monthly outlook also suggests that rainfall in February is likely to be below normal, with no cyclones or low-pressure systems expected to form over the Bay of Bengal.

Water flow in the country’s major rivers is forecast to remain normal throughout the month.