A cold wave may spread across Bangladesh from tomorrow (Monday) causing suffering to people, especially those living in the northern areas. A Met Office bulletin said a chilly drizzle and light rain were recorded yesterday (Monday) all over the country except Teknaf. The maximum amount of rain was recorded in Chattogram and Barishal, where an average of 40–50mm of rainfall occurred. The drizzle along with a cold wave disrupted normal life in the southern and northern districts and hampered the normal life of ordinary people. Owing to the foggy weather and the cold wave, many people, mostly children and the elderly, are down with cold-related diseases in most of the districts.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) control room, 5,432 people have been affected by different cold-related illnesses, including acute respiratory infection and diarrhoea, in the last 24 hours across the country. Among them, 768 of the patients received treatment for acute respiratory infection. Another 1,904 were treated for diarrhoea, and 2,760 for other diseases such as jaundice, inflammation in the eye, skin diseases and fever.

Fifty-one deaths were reported across the country between November 1 and January 4 on account of cold-related diseases. People of 296 upazilas were identified as being most affected by cold-related diseases in eight divisions of the country.

The capital received 18mm of rain with the day’s maximum temperature being recorded at 22.5°C, which was the same as that of the previous day. The country’s highest maximum temperature of 27.2°C was recorded at Teknaf. The lowest minimum temperature of 12°C was recorded in Dinajpur.

Districts are wrapped in clouds of fog, especially from evening to 11am the next day everyday. Chilly winds forced people to stay indoors.

Meanwhile, a number of ferries remained stranded for at least four hours on both sides of the Padma early yesterday on the Paturia-Daulatdia route in Manikganj, causing immense suffering to the commuters because of dense fog.

The authorities suspended ferry services several times between 3:00am and 7:00am due to poor visibility, said assistant general manager (AGM) Zillur Rahman of the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA). Several hundred vehicles remained stranded on both sides, he said, adding that the ferry service resumed around 7:00am after visibility improved.

The Met Office, in its monthly weather outlook for January, predicted that two to three cold waves would sweep Bangladesh in the month. Two of the cold waves might get severe with temperatures dropping below 6°C, said the Met Office’s monthly weather forecast released on Thursday.

Light to thick fog may disrupt visibility in the country’s northern, north-eastern, north-western and central regions and floodplains in January, sometimes eclipsing the sun throughout the day in those areas, said the Met Office.

The Met Office also forecast more-than-usual rainfall in January. It said that rainfall was abnormally low in December, with 43.6 per cent less than the usual rain recorded in the month.