Rangpur Correspondent

The county's lowest temperature today dropped to 7.3 degree Celsius at Tentulia, exposing the poor, elderly people and children to intense miseries there in the sub-Himalayan northern region.

Met Office sources said the lowest temperature of 9.5 degree Celsius was recorded yesterday (Thursday) at Tentulia in Panchagarh.

The minimum temperature dropped by one to two degree Celsius in the last 24 hours ending at 6 am today in the region.

Besides, today's minimum temperature was recorded at 12.2 degree Celsius at Rangpur, 9.7 degree Celsius at Dinajpur, 10.8 degree Celsius at Saidpur and 10.8 degree Celsius each at Dimla and Rajarhat monitoring points in the region respectively.

Meanwhile, the maximum temperature marked little fluctuations at most places and remained between 21.2 degree Celsius and 24 degree Celsius on Thursday afternoon in the region.

However, the weather marked slight improvement as the sun appeared in a clear sky free from fog and clouds across the northern region today bringing modest relief to common people.

Earlier, the sun remained covered behind dense layers of clouds and fog amid blowing cooler winds causing a chilling cold, exposing the poor, elderly citizens and minor children to extreme miseries last Wednesday.

However, the weather marked a little improvement from Thursday and remained almost unchanged in the northern region amid sunny weather at most places today.

Rangpur Civil Surgeon Dr Mostafa Zaman Chowdhury said doctors continued to treat a higher number of people with cough, fever, asthma and other cold-related diseases at the hospitals and health facilities in recent days.

"We have adequate stock of medicines and special steps were taken at the government-run health facilities to treat cold-related patients, including babies and children in the district like in other areas of the region," he added.

District Relief and Rehabilitation Officers (DRRO) said the district administrations, NGOs and other organisations have intensified distribution of warm clothes to cold-hit people in all eight northern districts of Rangpur division.

Rangpur DRRO Md Motahar Hossain said the government allocated 5,000 pieces of more blankets on Thursday raising the total number of allocated and locally
purchased blankets to 33,372 for the district.

"Distribution of 33,372 pieces of blankets allocated so far continues in full swing in the district," he said.

Similarly, Kurigram DRRO Md Abdul Matin said the total number of allocated and locally purchased blankets rose to 35,000 with the allocation of 10,000 pieces of more blankets by the government for Kurigram district on Thursday.

"The district administration continues distribution of 35,000 pieces of blankets allocated so far by the government and purchased locally among cold-affected people in Kurigram district," Matin added.

Additional Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) for Rangpur region Agriculturist Md Obaidur Rahman Mondal told BSS that the cold wave didn't cause any harm or cold injuries so far to any variety of growing winter crop plants.

"Field level DAE officials are assisting farmers in taking proper care of growing Rabi crop plants and Boro rice seedlings in the region where transplantation of Boro rice seedlings continues amid sunny weather despite the mild cold wave," he added.