RANGPUR, Jan 3, 2025 (BSS) - The weather has improved significantly today as the maximum temperature has increased, and the sun has appeared in the sky since morning in the northern region, bringing relief to the common people.
 
Although maximum temperatures marked a rise by 10 degrees Celsius on average in most areas of the northern region today, minimum temperatures marked further falls during the last 24 hours ending at 4 pm today.
 
However, the overall weather started becoming easier as the sun came out in a clear sky free from thick blankets of fog and clouds from the morning in the region.
 
Earlier, the weather deteriorated causing a chilling cold following reduction of the gap between maximum and minimum temperatures as minimum temperatures ranged between 9 and 13 degrees Celsius in the past two days. 
 
Local residents said vehicular movements on roads and highways and activities in the farm fields, business centers, markets, hats and bazaars, bus stands and terminals and rail stations gained momentum since the morning.
 
The Met Office recorded the country's minimum temperature of 8.3 degrees Celsius at 6 am today at the northernmost town of Tentulia monitoring point in the region.
 
Besides, the minimum temperatures recorded today were 9.7 degrees Celsius against yesterday's 12.5 degrees at Rangpur, 10 degrees Celsius against yesterday's 10.2 degrees at Dinajpur, 10 degrees against yesterday's 11.8 degrees at Saidpur, 10.5 degrees against yesterday's 12.5 degrees at Dimla and 9.5 degrees against yesterday's 11.3 degrees Celsius at Rajarhat points in the region. 
 
The maximum temperatures ranged between 22 degrees and 26 degrees Celsius today while the same ranged between 16.5 degrees and 19 degrees Celsius yesterday in the northern region.
 
"The highest temperature of 25 degrees Celsius was recorded at 3 pm today at Rangpur against yesterday's 16.5 degrees Celsius," Head of the Rangpur Meteorological Office Md Mostafizar Rahman told BSS this afternoon.
 
Although clouds, mists and thick layers of fog apparently disappeared from most parts of the northern region, the blowing cooler wind from the western and north-western directions continued to still cause little suffering to common people.
 
Following little improvement of the weather situation, common people and farm and day laborers started normal activities everywhere, including remote char areas and Boro rice seedling plantation got little momentum today.
 
The district administrations, different voluntary, sociocultural and political organisations, trade bodies, and affluent people are continuing distribution of warm clothes among cold-hit people.
 
District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) for Rangpur Md Motahar Hossain said distribution of 25,000 pieces of blankets, allocated by the government and purchased locally, among cold-stricken people of Rangpur district is nearing completion.
 
"We have got another allocation of 5,000 pieces of blankets from the chief adviser's office on Thursday and these blankets are expected to reach here by tomorrow," the DRRO said.
 
Talking to BSS, Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md Obaidur Rahman Mondal said growing winter crops and Boro seedlings would not be affected if the weather continues improving onwards. 
 
"Due to the behaviuoral change in the weather pattern following climate change in recent years, sometimes temperatures are marking falls in the morning and rise again in the afternoon. And that's why the growth of crop plants is not being affected," Mondal added.
 
Reports reaching here from different rural and riverine char areas today said sufferings of people in Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Rangpur, Nilphamari, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts eased to a large extent today.