Thick fog, severe cold

Thick fog and poor visibility in and around Zia International Airport early yesterday morning forced a Biman flight bound for Dhaka to make an emergency landing in Chittagong.

The fog also delayed departure of a domestic flight from Dhaka to Chittagong, Civil Aviation sources said.

Our correspondent from Chittagong said the DC-10 flight from London with 275 passengers on board landed at MA Hannan Airport at 9 am after failing to touch down at ZIA. However, it returned to Dhaka at 10:30 am.

There had been a sudden fall in temperature since Saturday with a continental high pressure in Uttar Pradesh and adjoining areas in India, Met Office sources said.

It said the minimum temperature of 6.8 degrees Celsius was recorded at Srimangal yesterday. Srimangal also had 6.8 degrees Celsius minimum temperature on Saturday when cold air started blowing across the country.

In Dhaka, the day's minimum was 13 degrees C, followed by Satkhira 9.7, Sitakundu 9.8, Chuadanga and Jessore 10.4, Dinajpur 10.7, Ishurdi 11.2, Rajshahi 11, Tangail 12, Mymensingh 12.2 degrees, Bogra 11.8, Rangpur 11.3, Syedpur 11.2, Rangamati and Feni 11.4 degrees C.

A long range forecast by the Met Office said that temperatures may fall to 5-8 degrees C at least twice this month in Rajshahi and Sylhet divisions, northern region of Khulna division, Mymensingh, Comilla and Sitakundu region where medium to severe cold will be felt. Elsewhere in the country, there will be mild to medium cold (7-10 degrees C) during the month, the forecast said.

The fall in temperature created problems for the poor in Dhaka city with the poor who sleep in the open being the worst sufferer.

Meanwhile, our Sirajganj correspondent reports: Blinding fog and severe cold crippled life in northern region of the country today.

Thick fog have reduced visibility to almost zero in Dinajpur, Rangpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha and Nilphamari. Biting cold has confined people to their residences and makeshift shelters.

Road and river traffic was very thin due to poor visibility. Motor vehicles had to keep headlights on during the day. But the fog blanket made it impossible for traffic at night.

In Sirajganj, people preferred to stay at home. Those who came outside were seen lighting fire. Poor homeless people were found wearing clothes made from jute bags. The sun was not visible today until 1:30 pm.

The civil surgeon's office said about 150 people, mostly children were admitted to general hospital and other private clinics with pneumonia and respiratory problems owing to the chilling cold.

District administrations of Rangpur, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha and Nilphamari have distributed warm clothes and blankets among poor people.

BSS reports: Weather experts in the capital yesterday warned that blinding fog and severe cold waves from the north are likely to grip the country twice this month.

The communications system and poor inhabitants in the vulnerable areas are likely to suffer most.

Deputy Director of Storm Warning Centre (SWC) Mohammad Akram Hossain told the news agency yesterday that Sreemongal in Sylhet division; Dinajpur, Syedpur and Rangpur in Rajshahi division; Sitakunda and Comilla in Chittagong division; Mymensingh and Tangail in Dhaka division; Satkhira and Chuadanga in Khulna division and Bhola and Khepupara in Barisal division are likely to be affected if severe cold spells sweep the country.

Drivers of long distance vehicles and marine vessels have complained that most of the luxury coaches, lorries and motor launches are not equipped with special fog lights to avoid collision in major rivers and highways.

"Sub-tropical ridge is prevailing over northern Indian states. The ridge should penetrate into Bangladesh territory while at the same time easterly trough should retreat up to the south of the Bay of Bengal for any significant fall of ground temperature," he said. Hossain denied that jets are dominating the mid-level of troposphere and added that the jets (wind speed 60 miles per hour) are staying at around 30,000 feet above the mean sea level which should descend up to 18,000 feet to change the dynamics of winter.

Quoting some records of the lowest registered temperature, he said mercury dropped to 2.8 degrees Celsius on February 4, 1968 at Sreemongal, 3.6 degrees Celsius on January 27, 1964 at Ishwardi, 3.9 degrees on January 1, 1955 at Dinajpur and 4.1 degrees Celsius on January 18, 1964 at Faridpur.

Referring to the first three days of this year, Met Office officials said the situation in Sreemongal deteriorated. The lowest temperature there was 8.2 degrees Celsius on January 1, 2000 and 6.8 degrees Celsius on January 2 and 3.

The lowest minimum temperature in the previous year recorded 5.4 degrees Celsius at Chuadanga on January 11, 1998.