Half of the day had already passed without the faintest glimmer of sunshine on the horizon. Vast swaths of Bangladesh were cloaked in dense fog accompanied by biting cold, heralding the onset of winter.
The mercury dropped to 9 degrees Celsius in Sreemangal on Wednesday, the lowest temperature in the country. The winter chill could also be felt under the overcast skies of Dhaka, where the temperature was as low as 14.1 degrees Celsius at one point.
Although the threshold for a cold wave has not been met yet, the minimum temperature has been hovering around 10-15 degrees Celsius across the country, reports bdnews24.com.
The day and night temperatures are likely to remain almost unchanged nationwide, according to meteorologist Hafizur Rahman. As a result, the winter cold is more intense in the north, north-west and central parts of the country.
The Met Office's forecast for the next 24 hours says moderate to dense fog could cover some parts of the country from midnight to morning. The weather is expected to remain dry with partly cloudy skies.
However, the conditions may change slightly over the next three days.
A cold wave is said to occur when the temperature falls below 6 degrees Celsius over a vast area, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department.
At least a couple of cold snaps, including a moderate one, are in the long-term forecast for January.
In addition to relatively low daytime temperatures, meteorologists said many areas, including the capital, are feeling the chill due to strong northerly winds. And, the current spell of cold weather could persist for a few more days.
Winter came late this time due to depressions and a cyclone in the Bay of Bengal. A mild cold wave swept the country for two days after a spell of rainfall.
