The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Rangpur

The weather became cooler on Saturday everywhere in the country's northern region due to foggy air and continuous falls in the temperatures during the past three days, official sources and the common people said.

However, normal life remained partially affected and vehicular traffic little hampered since Friday midnight till Saturday morning at many places as the dense fogs continued sweeping over in the region.

The maximum and minimum temperatures marked average falls by two degrees Celsius during the past 48 hours till 6 am last evening causing deterioration of the climatic conditions for the first time on Saturday in the sub-Himalayan region.

A fewer people were seen out of their houses except around the noon while the day-labourers and farm workers worked under cooler conditions in the crop fields due to cold coupled with densely foggy air till 9 am on Saturday.

The movement of vehicles on roads and highways was seriously affected from 12 pm on Friday night to 9 am last morning as thick layers of fogs mostly covered the air reducing visibility substantially.

The vehicles were found plying with their headlights on the roads and highways to avert accidents during the period.

The situation again started worsening from the evening when the public places started becoming deserted in Rangpur and the adjoining sub-Himalayan northern districts.

The common people in Rangpur, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Dinajpur, Naogaon, Joypurhat, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Gaibandha, Bogra and adjoining areas on the river basins experienced a cooler weather yesterday.

Sufferings of the char people living in char villages in these districts on the Brahmaputra and Ganges basins mounted due to dense fogs and blowing of cooler and stronger winds from the north and northwestern directions in the morning.

Met Office recorded the minimum temperature at 14.8 degrees Celsius at 6 am on Saturday against 16 degrees on Thursday morning at Rangpur while the highest temperate dipped to 26.4 degrees against 28.2 degrees Celsius in the city on Thursday.

The Met Office recorded minimum temperatures of 13.8 degrees Celsius at Syedpur, 14.4 at Dinajpur, 13.8 at Rajshahi, 14 at Iswardi and 15.4 degrees Celsius at Bogra and the country's lowest of 13.2 degrees Celsius at Srimangal yesterday.