A cold weave is sweeping over different parts of the country with temperature plummeting to the year's low at 5.8 degrees Celsius recorded in Chuadanga and Rajshahi districts on Saturday, report agencies.
Khulna, Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions and parts of Tangail, Faridpur, Gopalganj and Srimangal are experiencing a mild to moderate cold wave that may continue, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department.
People in the districts have been suffering badly due to the persisting cold weather.
Two elderly women died of cold-related afflictions in Thakurgaon Saturday.
People, including children and elderly persons, are suffering from different cold-related diseases.
The cold wave limited their outdoor activities to only basic necessities.
Sources at the Met offices in Chuadanga and Rajshahi said the country's lowest temperature of this year was recorded in the two districts on Saturday morning.
The department's long-term forecast says January could see a medium (6-8 degrees Celsius) or severe (4-6 degrees Celsius) cold wave and two to three light or medium cold waves.
Dhaka's lowest temperature was 13 degrees Celsius and highest 22.5 degrees Celsius.
The country's highest temperature recorded on the day was recorded in Cox's Bazar at 27 degrees Celsius.
The weather forecast says medium fog will gather in certain areas between midnight and the morning.
Another report from Rangpur adds: The persisting cold wave with cooler winds and dense fog deteriorated the weather condition disrupting public life in the northern districts.
The elderly people, women and babies were the worst sufferers, especially in the rural and remote char areas in the river basins, due to the biting cold in the sub-Himalayan northern region.
"The situation deteriorated sharply as the gap between minimum and maximum temperatures reduced to the minimum of 4-5 degrees Celsius today (Saturday) causing immense sufferings to the people," In-charge of Rangpur Met Office Mohammad Ali said.
"We recorded the minimum gap of only 1.0 degree Celsius between the minimum temperature of 10 degrees Celsius at 6:00 am and current temperature of 11 degrees Celsius at 12 noon at Rangpur today," Ali said.
"The average maximum temperature remained between 20 and 23 degrees Celsius during the past couple of days," he added.
The minimum temperatures recorded at 6:00 am on Saturday were 8.5 degrees Celsius at Syedpur and 10.2 degrees at Dimla in Nilphamari, 7.4 degrees at Dinajpur, 9.4 degrees at Tentulia in Panchagarh and 10 degrees Celsius at Rajarhat in Kurigram in the region.
Local people said the sun remained covered with thick layers of fog until noon affecting vehicular traffic and forcing the drivers to put headlights of their vehicles on for averting accidents.
Rangpur District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer Md Faridul Islam said 54,700 blankets, allocated so far by the government, were already distributed among the cold-stricken people of all eight upazilas in the district.
"We are expecting to get more allocations of warm clothes from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief tomorrow (Sunday) for distributing those among the cold-hit distressed people," Haque added.
Meanwhile, different NGOs, business bodies, financial institutions, charitable and other organisations started distribution of blankets, sweaters, mufflers and wrappers among the cold-hit people in the northern districts.
Horticulture Specialist of the Department of Agriculture Extension Khandker Md Mesbahul Islam said the farm-labourers could not do normal work and few people were seen outside as the thick layers of fog covered the sun until noon.
"The cold bite increased immense sufferings of the common people as the sun did not appear until 1:00 pm today (Saturday)," he said.
Officials at different hospitals and upazila health complexes said the number of patients suffering from pneumonia, fever, diarrhoea, asthma and respiratory problems rose on the day forcing the doctors to remain very busy.
Similar reports on disruption of normal life were received from Kurigram, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Rangpur and Nilphamari districts in the region.
