Mild cold wave may sweep the north
Bangladesh News Desk: Frequent rains are affecting crop production and public life across the country during the peak winter season.
Farmers usually cultivate different winter corps like potato, mustard, pulses, onion, garlic, lentil, chili and vegetables in the season when weather remains dry.
Rainfall affects crop production in different ways, including direct physical damage, delayed planting and harvesting, restricted root growth, oxygen deficiency and nutrient loss.
Gloomy and wet weather is prevailing in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country while the rain-triggered chill bite has caused a double trouble for people staying outside their homes.
The people who went out of their homes to work on Thursday faced deep trouble and complained of overcharging by auto drivers who tried to fleece passengers.
Street vendors were unable to operate during the rain and the markets saw fewer customers.
Rain in the dry season after a few days’ interval put farmers in trouble and they cannot achieve a good production.
One week back, rainwater submerged fields of many crops like mustard, pulse, onion and other winter vegetables land, creating owes for farmers.
Rain on plants promotes disease often evidenced in stunting, spots on foliage, decay on leaves, stems or fruit, wilting and, in severe cases, death of the entire plant, said agricultural officials.
Mustard comes to the market in the first week of February, but it will be delayed by the rain as harvesting will not start till the fields dry up.
“My potato field has been submerged by the rainwater, which will affect the production to a great extent,” said Joynal Abedin, a farmer of Tampat union in Sadar upazila of Rangpur.
Light-to-moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind occurred at a few places over Rajshahi, Khulna, Dhaka, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions and at one or two places over Rangpur, Barishal and Chattogram, according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).
Mohammad Omar Faruk, a meteorologist of the BMD, said, “The rainfall may continue over northern and central regions, but it may abate.”
“A mild cold wave may sweep across the northern and western region of the country from Friday night,” he said.
Moderate-to-thick fog may occur at places over the northwestern part and river basins of the country.
Light-to-moderate fog may occur at places in the country during the period from midnight to morning, the BMD said.
“Night temperature may fall by 1-2°C over northwestern part and it may fall slightly elsewhere over the country. Day temperature may fall by 2-3°C,” BMD added.
