Mild Cold Wave to Continue

A mild cold wave sweeping over the regions of Gopalgonj, Cumilla, Tetulia, Rajarhat, Chuadanga may continue, the Met Office said Tuesday.

Night and day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country.

The day's lowest temperature was recorded at 7.1 degrees Celsius at Tetulia in Panchagarh, according to BMD.

Extreme cold has disrupted the normal daily life in Panchagarh which recorded the lowest temperature in the country for three consecutive days.

The mercury fell to 7.5C and 7C at Tetulia on Monday and Sunday respectively.

Tetulia, the last border town in Bangladesh’s north, is no stranger to extreme cold. It recorded the lowest-ever temperature recorded in Bangladesh’s history on January 8 last year when the mercury fell to 2.6C.

Meanwhile, Dhaka's lowest temperature was recorded 12.8C on Tuesday, said the Met office bulletin.

Fear of worsening COVID situation

The government has been warning of a second COVID-19 wave in the winter. And now, a new strain of coronavirus has added to the worries.

Bangladesh on Tuesday saw 17 more Covid-19 deaths, pushing the fatalities to 7,329. With 1,318 new cases, the country’s total caseload now stands at 503,501. The mortality rate has increased to 1.46 per cent.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the government has taken massive preparations to face the second wave of the virus and infection during the winter.

"To prevent the surge during the winter, directives have been given for adopting 'no mask, no service policy'. Screening at the entry points of the country is on, while 14-day quarantine has been made mandatory for everyone coming from abroad. Programmes are going on as per the planning to control the Covid-19," she said last month.

Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam on Monday said Bangladesh would get Covid-19 vaccines for some 45 million people by May-June next year.

Thirty million doses of vaccine for 15 million people will come at the end of January or early February while the country will get 60 million more doses for 30 million people by May-June.

Dry weather likely

The weather may remain dry with the temporary partly cloudy sky over the country for next 24 hours commencing from 6 pm Tuesday, said the BMD.

Moderate to thick fog may occur at places over the river basins of the country and light to moderate fog may occur elsewhere during midnight to morning, BMD said.

About the synoptic situation, it said the ridge of sub-continental high extends up to West Bengal and adjoining area. Seasonal low lies over South Bay.