Cold wave easing in northern Bangladesh as temperatures rise

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has forecast that a slight rise in temperature may ease the mild cold wave currently sweeping across the northern districts of Bangladesh.

The 72-hour forecast, issued at 9am on Saturday, indicates that the mild cold wave sweeping through Panchagarh, Kurigram, Kushtia, and Jashore may gradually subside.

Over the past 24 hours, the lowest temperature was recorded at 8.2 degrees Celsius in Panchagarh’s Tentulia, while Teknaf registered the highest temperature at 29.2 degrees Celsius.

Most districts, including Dhaka, Tangail, Bogura, and Dinajpur in the north, have temperatures hovering around 25 degrees Celsius.

The mild cold wave in southern districts like Gopalganj and eastern districts like Moulvibazar is also expected to ease.

For the next 24 hours, the sky may remain partly cloudy with dry weather across the country.

Light to moderate fog may form in some areas from late night to morning.

The weather department observed a decrease in wind speed compared with the previous night and an increase in sunlight intensity, reducing the severity of the cold in Dhaka.

On Saturday, office-goers donned light winter attire, with both men and women covering their heads to ward off the chill.

Motorcyclists and passengers took extra precautions, wearing caps and scarves, while many public transport users left their heads uncovered.

The temperature in Dhaka and its surrounding areas was recorded at 13.8 degrees Celsius at 6am, which could drop to a low of 13.5 degrees Celsius during the day.

The highest temperature on the previous day was 25.7 degrees Celsius.

Earlier this year, forecasts projected one to two moderate to severe cold waves could sweep across Bangladesh in January, particularly targeting the western, northern, and northeastern regions.

One such wave has already begun to ease.

Typically, a mild cold wave is classified when temperatures range between 8.1 and 10 degrees Celsius.