Photo:BSS

RANGPUR, Jan 8, 2025 (BSS) - A sharp fall in the day temperatures coupled
with blowing cooler winds and a densely cloudy sky deteriorated the weather
causing chilling cold and misery to common people in the northern region
today.
 
After better sunny weather for the last five days, the sun remained covered
behind thick layers of clouds and maximum temperatures marked sharp falls by
6 to 10 degree Celsius during the last 24 hours ending at 6 pm today.
 
As a result, people started experiencing another mild to moderate cold wave
from today in the sub-Himalayan northern region where normal life and daily
activities remained mostly disrupted all day.
 
Elderly people, women and babies are the worst sufferers, especially in rural
and riverine char areas, due to bone-chilling colds.
 
Met Office sources said, although the minimum temperatures marked little rise
by one to two degree Celsius during the last 24 hours, the maximum
temperatures sharply dropped by 6 to 10 degree Celsius.
 
Today's minimum temperatures were recorded at 15.2 degree Celsius at Rangpur,
15 degree Celsius each at Dinajpur and Saidpur, 14.2 degree Celsius at
Tentulia, 15.4 degree Celsius at Rajarhat and 15 degree Celsius at Dimla
points respectively.
 
While the maximum temperatures were recorded today at 18.6 degree Celsius
against yesterday's 27.2 degree Celsius at Rangpur, 17.6 degree Celsius
against yesterday's 27 degree Celsius at Dinajpur, 20 degree Celsius against
yesterday's 27.2 degree Celsius at Saidpur, 22.8 degree Celsius against
yesterday's 26.7 degree Celsius at Tentulia, 18 degree Celsius against
yesterday's 26.8 degree Celsius at Rajarhat and 18 degree Celsius against
yesterday's 26.5 degree Celsius at Dimla point in the region.
 
The gap between minimum and maximum temperatures reduced to only 3 to 8
degree Celsius amid blowing cooler winds and cloudy weather causing a
chilling cold today.
 
"The temperatures may continue to mark fall and weather may remain partially
foggy and cloudy to further deteriorate the cold situation during the next 4
to 5 days," Head of the Rangpur Meteorological Office Md Mostafizar Rahman
told BSS this evening.
 
Local residents said thin layers of fog and dense layers of clouds cooled
with blowing cooler winds caused bone-chilling cold, exposing the poor,
elderly citizens and minor children to intense miseries all the day today.
 
The daily normal works of common people and vehicular traffic remained
partially affected and drivers drove their vehicles putting headlights on
amid foggy and cloudy weather to avert accidents from this afternoon.
 
Officials at hospitals, upazila health complexes and community clinics said
the number of patients with cough, fever, asthma and other cold-related
diseases continued increasing today again forcing the doctors to remain very
busy.
 
Rangpur Civil Surgeon Dr Mostafa Zaman Chowdhury told BSS this evening that
physicians are providing health services to cold-related patients in
hospitals and other health service facilities in Rangpur district like other
places.
 
"We have adequate stocks of essential medicines and have taken necessary
steps to provide proper treatments to cold-related patients despite shortage
of physicians in the district," he said.
 
Meanwhile, the district and upazila administrations, NGOs, voluntary and
socio-cultural organisations have further intensified distribution of warm
clothes among the cold-stricken people in the region.
 
Rangpur District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Md Motahar Hossain said
distribution of 30,000 pieces of blankets allocated by the government in
three phases and procured locally continues among cold-stricken people of the
district.
 
Similar reports of disruption of normal life due to sharp fall of
temperatures and blowing cooler winds were received here today from different
areas of all other northern districts in the region.