Fresh cold wave likely from Monday

The Met Office on Friday predicted that a cold wave may spread over Bangladesh from Monday causing sufferings to people, especially those living in northern areas.

‘The cold wave may stay for three days,’ weather forecaster Abdur Rahman told New Age.

On Friday, light to moderate rains across the country brought down the day’s temperatures by 5° C at places.

The capital received 17 mm rain in six hours from 6:00am with the day’s maximum temperature being recorded at 22.5° C, down from 28.5° C the previous day.

The country’s highest maximum temperature of 27.2° C on the day was recorded at Teknaf.

The lowest minimum temperature of 11.2° C was recorded at Tetulia in Panchagarh.

After forecasting rains last week, the Met Office had earlier predicted that days from Friday onwards would be colder as rains would prevent temperatures from rising during the daytime.

Nights would be a bit uncomfortable with elevated temperatures as cloudy sky would hold back the heat absorbed by the surface, the Met Office said.

Abdur Rahman said that light rains might continue on Saturday with the sky remaining partly cloudy in parts of the country but by Sunday the sky would be cleared.

The New Age correspondent in Barishal reported that it rained 30 mm in nine hours until 3:00pm on Friday as the sun remained behind thick clouds.

The rain even caused waterlogging at places, forcing the authorities to abandon an on-going computer fair halfway through.

Incessant rains kept people mostly indoors in six districts under the Barishal division.   

Day labourers, rickshawpullers and slum-dwellers suffered the worst for they found almost no work available in the inclement weather.

‘I did not get any work and returned home empty pocket,’ said Biplob Chaklader, 42, a day labourer in the Barishal city.

Barishal division health director Mohammad Rahim said that 1,700 children were admitted to government hospitals in last seven days with pneumonia and other cold-related diseases.

The Health Emergency Operation Centre and Control Room said that a total of 5,732 patients with cold-related illnesses were either hospitalised or treated at government hospitals across Bangladesh in the 24 hours ending on Friday morning.

The Met Office in its monthly weather outlook for January predicted three two to three cold waves to sweep Bangladesh in the month.

Two of the cold waves might get severe with temperatures dropping below 6° C, said the Met Office monthly weather forecast released on Thursday.

Light to thick fog may disrupt visibility in the country’s northern, north-eastern, north-western and central regions and floodplains in January, sometimes eclipsing the sun throughout the day in the areas, said the Met Office. 

The Met Office also forecast more-than-usual rainfalls in January.

It said that rainfall was abnormally low in December with 43.6 per cent less than the usual rain recorded in the month.

The lowest minimum temperature of 4.5° C in December was recorded at Tetulia, said the Met Office.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net