Published on 01:37 PM, December 17, 2017

Winter warmer, delayed due to depression in Bay of Bengal

Warmer temperatures will adversely affect agriculture produce

With temperatures dipping to 15.6 degree celsius in Dhaka today, fog was seen in many parts of the capital. This photo was taken from Dhanmondi Lake area. Photo: Farhana Ahmed/ Star

Winter temperatures continue to feel warmer and warmer in Bangladesh. Compared to last year, this day is almost one degree warmer.  

On this day last year, the country’s lowest temperature was 10.3 degree Celsius in Tetulia while today’s lowest is recorded 11.5 degree Celsius in Satkhira, Md Shaheenul Islam, meteorologist at the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, told The Daily Star Online today.

The on-set of colder temperatures has been delayed this year by a deep depression that formed in the Bay at the beginning of this month and a cyclonic storm at the Arabian Sea, Md Shaheenul said.

The urban landscape might be to blame for the warmer winters in Dhaka, he said.

The temperature is expected to drop across the country including Dhaka from the end of December, the meteorologist said adding that it will remain around the same till December 24 and 25 and will get progressively colder from then onwards, Shaheenul said.

The mercury is expected to dip further in January next year, Shaheenul added.

A delayed winter also means serious ramifications in farm productivity. Agriculturalists explain that wheat grown in warmer than normal winter-season temperature usually yield less and such delayed and less-intense winter has impacts on Boro rice too.

A warmer temperature also has negative impact on winter-rice’s (Boro) grain formation and also attracts more pests than in cooler temperatures.