The temperature plummeted further to 5.7˚C in Panchagarh's Tetulia on Thursday morning. “This is the lowest recorded temperature so far this year,” Arif Hossain, a meteorologist of Bangladesh Meteorological Department’s Dhaka office, told the media.
Tetulia, the last border town in Bangladesh’s north, experiences extreme cold weather in winter. Temperature dropped to 6.2˚C on Wednesday.
On January 8 last year, mercury fell to 2.6˚C in Tetulia, the lowest-ever recorded temperature in Bangladesh’s history.
But there is no sign of respite for Panchagarh residents. “The temperature will likely remain unchanged for the next few days,” Arif said.
Bangladesh’s southern part might see a rise in temperature and experience rain, according to the meteorologist.
Thursday’s chilly weather disrupted normal life in Tetulia.
Although the local administration has distributed 35,000 pieces of blankets, people affected by cold said that the allotment is insufficient and residents of many areas are yet to receive warm clothes.
Meanwhile, the number of patients with cold-related diseases has increased here. Panchagarh Modern Hospital has reported a surge in outdoor patients.
Data released by the government on Wednesday showed that 2,274 people had been affected by cold-related diseases in the district between November 1 and December 24. Cold-related diseases had caused the death of 10 people in Panchagarh during this period.
