Bone-chilling, bitter cold wave that has been blowing throughout Rajshahi and surrounding districts for the last one week has made the normal lives of the people of the region stall and battered. Due to dense fog associated with mild wind, the day temperature in Rajshahi has dropped abnormally and bitter, intense cold is being felt all over the region. The cool weather has also intensified sufferings of working class of people as well as slum and street dwellers.
Meteorological department sources in Rajshahi informed, the temperature of the district has been fluctuating between 8 to 10 degree Celcius(40 to 50 degree Fahrenheit) for the last one week. Though the room temperature is average 70 to 71 degree Fahrenheit. But due to lingering day long for and cool light wind the bitterness of the cold is being felt intensely.
The sources further informed, according to Meteorological term, when the day temperature dips below 10 degree Celsius, it is termed as low cold wave; when it is below 8 degree Celsius, it is called mild or mid level cold wave but when it goes below 6 degree Celsius, it is known as intense cold wave and Rajshahi is now on the grip of low to mild cold wave.
The temperature was dipping continuously during the last one week in Rajshahi. From last Thursday, the temperature is dipping continuously and visibility of the sun is very rare, often from 11-00 AM to 2-00 PM. Today, (Tuesday), the sun was not visible all the day from Rajshahi and many other northern districts. The fog hangs all through night and the day and light drops of dense for were falling elswhere the district like that of tiny-ice tips.
Mijanur Rahman, Senior Advocate of Rajshahi Judges Court while coming out of the mosque after his Fazr prayer at Tikapara area of Rajshahi city informed, tiny ice-tip like drops were falling all over the night and even in the morning and an intense cold wave was making the lives of the people unbearable. Due to continuous mild wind, the intensity of cold is being felt bitterly, he added.
Meanwhile, dense fog was lingering over the city and surrounding upazilas of the district for last one week. On Saturday, the sun appeared after 10-00 am while on last Friday and Thursday, the sun emerged around 11-00 am and 2-00 pm respectively. The movement of vehicles was hampered through the streets and highways due to dense fog and the number of road accidents has also been increased during the recent weeks due to poor visibility in the fog.
Low income group of people, young men and women of villages and town were trying to get rid of cold by burning straw, papers and trash.
Outdoor ward sources of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital informed, the number of patients attacked with cold related diseases were increasingly crowding the ward in recent days. Of the patients, there are large number of children and elderly people. Many of those were visiting the hospital with Diarrhoea, suffocation, Pneumonia and Asthma. However, the number of such patients are likely to increase further due to lingering cold and bitter low temperature, he added.