Cold wave likely for 5 more days

A cold wave is sweeping across four divisions and 12 districts of the country, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).

The BMD's weather forecast said on Wednesday that the weather for the next five days across the country may remain dry with temporarily partly cloudy skies from Wednesday to Sunday.

It also said that the prevailing cold wave may continue throughout these five days.

According to BMD, the winter chill has set in during the first month of the New Year in Naogaon's Badalgachhi upazila where temperature was recorded lowest of the season - at 6.7 degrees Celsius - in the 24 hours until Wednesday morning.

The temperature recorded on Wednesday in Naogaon's Badalgachhi was about five degrees lower than that logged at the same time the previous day, the BMD said.

"A mild to moderate cold wave is blowing over the Tangail, Faridpur, Madaripur, Gopalganj, Kishoreganj, Manikganj, Narsingdi, Narayanganj, Netrakona, Moulvibazar, Lakshmipur and Cumilla districts as well as the Rajshahi, Rangpur, Khulna and Barishal divisions and it may continue," said Meteorologist AKM Nazmul Haque on Wednesday afternoon.

"The intense cold weather is likely to continue for two more days. After that, the temperature may increase slightly, which will reduce the chill," he said.

He also said that the cold wave may last for a few more days.

He said that the fog has started to clear up a bit, and the country's eastern districts saw the sun peek out after 8 am on Wednesday. However, there was fog in the western districts.

"Foggy atmosphere will persist throughout Thursday and Friday. After that, the fog may clear up a bit, and then it is likely to feel a little less cold on Saturday," he said.

He, however, said that it will remain cold throughout the month of January.

The BMD said that Teknaf recorded the highest temperature in the country in the 24 hours until Wednesday morning at 26.5 degrees Celsius.

The capital Dhaka saw a high of 20.2 degrees Celsius and a low of 11.9 degrees Celsius.

There may be moderate to thick fog across the country from midnight to the morning on Wednesday and Thursday and in the river basins from Friday to Sunday.

The fog may persist until noon in some places.

The night temperatures across the country will remain largely unchanged on Wednesday and Thursday, but the day temperature may increase slightly.

The BMD says the night temperature across the country may remain largely unchanged on Friday, while the day temperature may increase slightly.

Temperature may drop slightly on Saturday night while the day temperature may remain largely unchanged. It may drop further throughout the day and night on Sunday.

Panchagarh, the country's northernmost district, recorded the temperature at 7.5 degrees Celsius in the 24 hours ending at 9:00am on Wednesday.

Dense fog reduced visibility to as low as 10-15 feet in parts of Panchagarh town, forcing people to stay indoors.

Thakurgaon district recorded temperature at 7.5 degrees, Rajshahi at 7.6 degrees, Dimla in Nilphamari at 8 degrees, Rajarhat in Kurigram at 8.5 degrees and Dinajpur at 8.7 degrees Celsius.

The Rangpur Meteorological Office said the minimum temperature in Rangpur dropped by 3.2 degrees Celsius within a day, from 11.8 degrees on Tuesday to 8.6 degrees on Wednesday.

In-charge meteorologist Mostafizur Rahman said the cold conditions were likely to persist for another two to three days, with temperatures possibly falling further.

The cold weather has hit char areas along the major rivers including the Brahmaputra, Teesta and Dharla particularly hard.

More than one million people (10 lakh) live in over 500 chars across the Rangpur region, where weak infrastructure and reliance on daily labour have heightened vulnerability.

"There is no special aid allocation for char areas, and many people cannot afford warm clothes," said Professor Shafiqul Islam Bebu, convener of the Kurigram District Char Development Committee.

He called for urgent winter assistance.

Kurigram District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Abdul Matin said 25,000 blankets have been allocated so far, against an estimated demand of 150,000.

"We are prioritising char areas in distribution," he said, adding that further allocations had been sought from the ministry.

Meanwhile, dense fog and biting cold have also disrupted life in coastal Patuakhali.

Kalapara recorded 8.4 degrees Celsius, the district's lowest temperature in two years, while visibility dropped below 50 metres in several areas, affecting road and waterway transport, according to the Khepupara Meteorological Office.

Fishermen reported abandoning trips to the deep sea due to extreme cold, while many low-income residents were seen burning straw and dry leaves to keep warm.

The district Meteorological office said the mild cold wave in Patuakhali may continue for two to three days more.

In Bangladesh, the winter cold often lingers throughout the month of January. On January 8, 2018, the lowest temperature in the country's history - 2.6 degrees Celsius - was recorded in Panchagarh's Tetulia.

On January 11, 2013, the temperature in Saidpur dropped to 3 degrees Celsius. Before that, on February 4, 1968, Sreemangal recorded a low of 2.8 degrees Celsius.

When the temperature drops to between 8-10 degrees Celsius over a large area, it is considered a mild cold wave. A moderate cold wave is when the temperature drops between 6-8 degrees Celsius, and a severe cold wave is when it drops to between 4-6 degrees Celsius.

The temperature dropped from 8.6 degrees Celsius the previous day (Tuesday, 06 January 2026) with wind speeds between 6 and 8 kilometres per hour and humidity reaching 100 per cent.

Meanwhile, the prevailing cold wave is intensifying hardship for low-income communities, particularly day labourers, farmers, fishermen and residents of riverine char areas.

talhabinhabib@yahoo.com