A hint of winter chill is now felt in different parts of the country, especially in northern districts, with light fog in the early morning and evening. The advent of winter has sent temperatures tumbling and cast a veil of thick fog in the northern districts.
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), night and day temperature may further fall slightly over the country. Light fog may occur at places over the river basins of the country during early morning, says a Met Office weather bulletin.
The minimum temperature 15.4 degrees Celsius was recorded at Badalgachhi in Rajshahi division on Saturday.
However, some northern districts of the country were covered by dense fog, disrupting road and air traffic, especially in Dinajpur, Panchagarh, and Thakurgaon.
Two Biman Bangladesh flights were unable to land on schedule at Saidpur airport in Nilphamari on Saturdaymorning after visibility was reduced to 400 metres, significantly lower than the required 2,000-metre threshold. The airport’s manager
AKM Bahauddin Zakaria said that the flights were scheduled for landing at 8:00am but were delayed by an hour.
Dinajpur witnessed 16.8 degrees Celsius on Saturday. Misty mornings have already become a regular in the area, with the sun breaking through clouds around 11:15am, causing visibility issues for transport workers.
Tofazzal Hossain, an official of the Met office in Dinajpur, said that northern districts experience early winter due to their proximity to the Himalayas.
Panchagarh, the northernmost district, has been experiencing dense fog as the temperature continues to decrease with the onset of winter.
People of the district experienced light drizzle accompanied by the fog on Saturday morning. The roads were deserted and vehicles were moving cautiously with headlights on as the entire district was covered by dense fog.
Some people were seen moving around and small vehicles, including vans and human haulers were seen moving on the roads, despite the fog.
Some drivers of small vehicles were seen sitting idle due to the lack of passengers. People started using quilts and blankets to warm themselves up.
The district experiences an early onset of winter and the cold persists until January and February.
A van driver in Panchagarh on Saturday said, “We are feeling cold. The fog is so thick that nothing is visible. I don’t have any passengers, so I am sitting idle.”
Saidur Rahman, a pedestrian, said, “There is light drizzle. Due to dense fog, I can’t see anything even a hand’s distance away. Vehicles are moving with their headlights on.”
Advocate AKM Khair, convener of the Bangladesh Environment Movement's Panchagarh district unit, said, “There was sudden dense fog. It feels mildly cold. The dense fog makes it seem like a chilly winter is here.”
Md Russell Shah, in-charge of the Tetulia Weather Observation Center, said the met office recorded 17°C temperature in Tetulia at 6 am and 9 am on Saturday.
For the past few days, the temperature has been fluctuating between 17°C and 20°C and the temperature is expected to decrease further, he said.
In Panchagarh Modern District Hospital and health centers in five upazilas of the district, there were an increase in the number of children and elderly people suffering from colds, coughs, diarrhea, pneumonia, and asthma.
