The intensity of winter has increased across the country for the past few days. The bone-chilling cold has disrupted public life, especially in the northern regions. Cold waves are blowing in more than 21 districts at once. Due to dense fog, the sun is not visible in many areas for most of the day.
The country’s lowest temperature was recorded in Gopalganj on Wednesday (December 31), the last day of the year. According to the Meteorological Office, the temperature there at 6 am was 7.5 degrees Celsius and the humidity was 97 percent.
Previously, there were multiple records for the lowest temperature in the country at different times. In 1996, 3.8 degrees Celsius was recorded in Dinajpur, in 2003, 3.4 degrees Celsius in Rajshahi, in 2011, 4.5 degrees Celsius in Jessore, in 2013, 3 degrees Celsius in Saidpur, and in 2017, 5 degrees Celsius in Kurigram.
The most severe cold in recent times was experienced in 2018. On January 8 of that year, the temperature in Tentulia of Panchagarh dropped to 2.6 degrees Celsius, the lowest in the country’s history. On the same day, temperatures were recorded at 2.9 degrees Celsius in Saidpur, 3 degrees Celsius in Dimla, 3 degrees Celsius in Rajarhat of Kurigram, and 3.1 degrees Celsius in Dinajpur. On that day, the temperature was below 5 degrees in all eight districts of Rangpur division.
The Meteorological Department said that there have been instances of severe cold waves in the past as well. In 1968, the country’s second lowest temperature of 2.7 degrees Celsius was recorded in Srimangal in Moulvibazar.