A thick blanket of fog has enveloped a large part of the country. Stretching from the northern region through the central areas to the southwest, the fog has prevented the sun from being seen in many places even during the daytime. Due to the combined effects of dense fog and cold winds descending from the Himalayas, the country’s minimum temperature has dropped by another one degree Celsius over the past 24 hours.
On Monday, a cold wave swept through eight districts of the Rajshahi Division as well as Kushtia, Chuadanga, Jashore and Dinajpur, affecting a total of 12 districts.
Severe cold and dense fog are disrupting normal life across most parts of the country, including the capital. From early morning until noon, visibility in many areas has been reduced to just 50 to 100 metres. Road and waterway transport have also been affected.
Ferry services on the Daulatdia–Paturia route (Rajbari–Manikganj) and the Aricha–Kazirhat route (Manikganj–Pabna) were disrupted due to fog. To avoid accidents, ferry operations were suspended from midnight on Sunday. After about seven hours, ferry services on the Daulatdia–Paturia route resumed at around 7:15am today. On the Aricha–Kazirhat route, ferry services remained suspended for nearly 10 hours before resuming at around 9:15am.
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, the country’s lowest temperature today was recorded at Ishwardi in Pabna at 8.4 degrees Celsius. The previous day, Sunday, the lowest temperature was 9.5 degrees Celsius in Sreemangal, Moulvibazar. Although the temperature in Dhaka rose by one degree Celsius on Monday compared to the previous day, the feeling of cold did not ease due to the fog.
Meteorologist Md. Tariful Nawaz Kabir said the extent of the cold wave has slightly expanded and overall temperatures have fallen. However, temperatures may rise slightly tomorrow, Tuesday, and the day after, Wednesday, before likely dropping again.
Another meteorologist, Hafizur Rahman, said the intensity of cold has increased as dense fog has spread from the northern to the central regions of Bangladesh through the Ganges basin. The fog is reducing the duration of sunlight during the day, meaning less sunshine is reaching the ground. Combined with environmental pollution, this is creating smog, making the cold feel even harsher.
Meteorologists have warned that there is little chance of relief from the fog and cold for now. Even if daytime temperatures rise temporarily, the biting cold may continue for several more days if sunshine remains scarce.
