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South Asia: Cold Wave - Dec 2002

Status
Past
Countries
Bangladesh
+ 2 more
Disaster types
Cold Wave

From 15 December 2002 to early February 2003, a severe cold spell swept Bangladesh, a country with a tropical monsoon climate where winters are generally mild and short. The Meteorological Department reported that the temperatures dropped to 4 degrees Celsius in some areas, and to 8-11 Celsius in others. According to the same source this was one of the coldest waves since 1968. (IFRC, 13 Mar 2003) More than 700 people reportedly died countrywide as a result of low temperatures. Most casualties were reported in the north-western district of Rajshahi and the south-eastern district of Barisal. (OCHA, 5 Feb 2003)

India was the worst affected by the cold spell, especially the north-eastern states of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, where more than 900 deaths were reported. The cold weather was also felt in Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Delhi. (OCHA, 5 Feb 2003)

In Nepal, the cold weather claimed around 60 lives. (OCHA, 5 Feb 2003) Most of the fatalities were reported from the districts of Banke and Bardia in the Terai plains in the foothills of the Himalayas. (IFRC, 22 Jan 2003)