Bone-chilling cold wave sweeping over northern region

Like in the last few days, the sweeping bone-chilling cold wave coupled with thick layers of fog forced people to stay indoors and affected vehicular movements in the northern region till 9 am today.

Met Office sources said the minimum temperatures recorded today were 11 degrees Celsius at Rangpur, 10 degrees at Dinajpur, 10.5 degrees at Saidpur, 9.6 degrees Celsius at Tentulia, 10.6 degrees at Dimla and 11 degrees Celsius at Rajarhat points in the region.

Besides, the maximum temperatures recorded at 4 pm on Saturday were 21.2 degrees Celsius at Rangpur, 18.5 degrees at Dinajpur, 20.5 degrees at Saidpur, 21 degrees at Tentulia, 20 degrees at Dimla and 22.5 degrees Celsius at Rajarhat points.

Fog, clouds and mists apparently gave most parts of the northern region a deserted look till 9 am today amid blowing cooler winds from the northwestern directions exposing the poor and distressed people and minor children to untold miseries, reports BSS.

However, the situation marked little improvement when the sun appeared penetrating the thick layers of fog after 9 am reducing sufferings of cold-stricken people, especially those living in the sandy char areas, for a few hours today.

Divisional Director (Health) Dr. Md. Habibur Rahman said doctors continued to treat a higher number of people with cough, fever, asthma and other cold- related diseases during the past few days in Rangpur division.

However, he said stock of medicines in hospitals and other health facilities is adequate and special steps have been taken at the government-run health facilities in districts, upazilas and unions to treat cold-related patients.

Meanwhile, the district administrations, different voluntary, professional and sociocultural organisations and other institutions have further intensified distribution of warm clothes to cold-hit people to mitigate their sufferings.

District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer for Rangpur Md. Motahar Hossain said 75,000 pieces of blankets received so far from the government are being distributed among cold-stricken people of the district.

Additional Divisional Commissioner (General) Md. Abu Jafar said a huge number of blankets in addition to other warm clothes are being distributed to cold-hit poor and distressed people in all eight districts of Rangpur division.

"Distribution of warm clothes among cold- hit people has been intensified further in Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon and Panchagarh districts in the division," he added.

Talking to BSS, local residents said the chilling cold severely affects normal life since early morning followed by insignificant improvement with the appearance of the sun in the noon almost daily in recent days.

Superintending Engineer of Barind Multipurpose Development Authority for Rangpur Circle Md. Habibur Rahman Khan said the weather continues to behave peculiarly due to climate change causing sufferings to people and affecting every sector.

"Due to climate change, the mean temperatures of the day and night have been changed significantly slowly over the years creating peculiarity in the weather pattern and causing extreme cold in winter and extreme hot in summer," Khan added.