Cold wave paralyses life across country

DOT Desk: Bone-biting cold wave that sweeps countrywide, especially over its northern, southern and north-southern region, has paralysed life all over, reports The Daily Sun.
It also affected day-to-day activities, including ferry service, flight operations and traffic movement.
Meanwhile, maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been asked to hoist signal no 2 as the cyclonic storm ‘Pabuk’ over the Andaman Sea and adjoining areas moved northwestwards.
Cold is felt severely everywhere as it is accompanied by the wind’s icy blasts and dense fog, said a weatherman of Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).
People living in open and public spaces like bus and railway stations are the worst sufferers. Day labourers and slum dwellers are most vulnerable to cold as they cannot afford to buy warm clothes.
The cold spell has triggered cold-related diseases, including pneumonia, asthma and respiratory diseases, in the northern districts.
The number of patients with cough, asthma and other cold-related diseases has marked a sharp rise in different areas of the northern region, hospital sources said.
The number of pneumonia and diarrhoea patients, mostly children and elderly people, continues to rise due to bone-chilling cold.
Sources said ferry services on Paturia-Daulatdia and Shimulia-Kawrakandi routes remained disrupted for the last five days for poor visibility due to thick fog.
Flight operations at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport are being disrupted. Dense fog has forced the authorities concerned to reschedule flights, airport sources said.
Passengers of buses and planes had to wait for long hours as dense fog disrupted ferry and flight services.
The ongoing cold spell may continue throughout the week and severe cold wave may occur in the middle of the month, informed the duty officer of BMD.
Mild to moderate cold wave is sweeping over the regions of Madaripur, Gopalganj, Netrakona, Moulvibazar, Rajshahi, Pabna, Noagaon, Dinajpur, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Panchagarh, Jashore, Kushtia, Barishal and Bhola, local met office said.
Weather may remain dry with temporary partly cloudy sky over the country while light to moderate fog may occur at some places over the country from midnight to Monday morning, it said.
The country’s highest temperature was recorded at 28.8 degrees Celsius at Teknaf in Chattogram while Sunday’s minimum temperature was 7.5 degrees Celsius at Tetulia in Panchagarh.
The cyclone was centred about 1330 km southeast of Chattogram port, 1240 km southeast of Cox’s Bazar port, 1445 km southeast of Mongla port and 1365 km southeast of Payra port.
It is likely to move in a north/northwesterly direction further, said a Met office bulletin.
Maximum sustained wind speed within 54 kms of the cyclone centre is about 62 kph rising to 88 kph in gusts and squalls. Sea will remain very rough near the cyclone centre, it said.
All fishing boats and trawlers over the North Bay have been advised to come close to the coast and proceed with caution till further notice and not to venture into the deep sea.