The start of the new year has seen thick fog and chilly winds across Bangladesh. Now, cloudy skies may result in drizzling rain.

The gloomy weather may extend into election day on Sunday.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department said on Saturday that the lowest temperature in the country was 9.7 degrees Celsius in Tetulia over the past 24 hours. The northern district has also recorded the lowest temperature of the winter so far with the mercury dropping to 7.4 degrees Celsius on Wednesday.

“The thick fog has persisted,” said meteorologist Monowar Hossain. “Parts of the Rajshahi, Rangpur, and Khulna divisions may be partially cloudy. It may drizzle in a few places. The other parts of the country will remain as they are. The weather will remain the same on election day on Sunday.”

The BMD official said the fog descends across the country around midnight. Some areas will see moderate to dense fog persist into the afternoon.

The winter cold has hit Dhaka and large parts of the country. A moderate cold wave is sweeping through the northern districts, with temperatures hovering around 10 degrees Celsius in Syedpur, Nilphamari, Dinajpur, Panchagarh, and Iswardi in Pabna.

The winter weather is likely to persist throughout January.

The heavy fog may disrupt air, river, and road traffic, Monowar Hossain said.

The BMD’s long-term forecast for the month predicts one to two mild to moderate cold spells in the country.

The BMD considers temperatures below 6 degrees Celsius in large parts of the country to be a severe cold wave. Temperatures between 6-8 degrees Celsius are classified as a moderate cold wave, while temperatures between 8-10 degrees Celsius are considered a mild cold wave.