The windy, flame-fanning weather that put the nation's second most-populous metropolitan region on edge eased up Wednesday as firefighters made significant gains against the two massive wildfires burning around Los Angeles. A “Particularly Dangerous Situation” red-flag warning expired without causing explosive fire growth as feared, though forecasters said gusty winds could linger into early Thursday, mostly in the mountains. Temperatures were predicted to drop, and a deep marine layer was expected to move in over the weekend, according to the National Weather Service in Los Angeles. Those improved conditions should help fire crews make even more headway and allow residents to return to their neighborhoods to begin rebuilding. But Santa Ana winds could return early next week. “Good news: We are expecting a much-needed break from the fire weather concerns to close this week,” the weather service posted on social media Wednesday afternoon. “Bad News: Next week is a concern. While confident that we will NOT see a repeat of last week, dangerous fire weather conditions are expected.” Still, firefighters and police faced new challenges. Since the beginning of the outbreak last week, authorities have arrested about half a dozen people accused of setting new, small fires that were quickly knocked down. One suspect admitted starting a fire in a tree “because he liked the smell of burning leaves,” Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said. Another said “she enjoyed causing chaos and destruction,” the chief said Wednesday. Authorities have not determined a cause for the major blazes in what is on track to become the nation’s costliest fire disaster, with at least 25 people dead and thousands of homes destroyed. Officials facing questions over response LA officials, who already were criticized for hydrants running dry, faced more questions. Fire officials chose not to double the number of firefighters on duty last Tuesday as winds increased, and only five of more than 40 engines were deployed, according to internal records obtained by The Los Angeles Times and interviews with fire commanders. Read: Relief, 21st-century style: As wildfires burn, GoFundMe becomes a repository of harrowing stories The department also did not call in off-duty firefighters until after the Palisades Fire erupted. Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristin Crowley defended her decisions. “I can tell you and stand before you, we did everything in our capability to surge where we could,” she told a news conference. Crowley said that despite “limited capacity” within the department, crews were able to respond swiftly by calling for assistance from other agencies and seeking help from off-duty firefighters. Increasing containment on the biggest fires More manageable winds Tuesday allowed firefighters to make gains on the two most destructive fires. Almost half of the Eaton Fire just north of LA was contained, and one-fifth of the fire that destroyed much of the seaside neighborhood of Pacific Palisades was surrounded. Both of those broke out Jan. 7 in conditions similar to what was expected Wednesday, though winds were higher last week when they pushed flames at remarkable speed and carried fire-sparking embers for miles. Packed and ready to go Weary and anxious residents said they were ready to make a hasty escape amid the threat from intense winds. Javier Vega, who said he feels like he has been “sleeping with one eye open,” and his girlfriend have planned out how they can quickly pack up their two cats, eight fish and leopard gecko if they get orders to evacuate. “Typically on any other night, hearing helicopters flying overhead from midnight to 4 in the morning, that would drive anyone crazy,” Vega said. But figuring they were helping firefighters to keep the flames from threatening their neighborhood, he explained, “it was actually soothing for me to go to sleep.” Long road of rebuilding ahead Los Angeles authorities promised to do everything they could to help people recover and rebuild. But Mayor Karen Bass acknowledged there is no way to replace much of what has been lost. “You’ve lost memories, family. All of the experiences that took place there are gone, and gone unexpectedly, gone rapidly,” Bass said. Read more: Firefighters continue battling LA wildfires amid dangerous weather warning This week the mayor issued an executive order to eliminate red tape and allow people to live in tiny homes and trailers while they rebuild. Different kind of disaster Thomas Martin works with Calvary Disaster Relief, a group that responds to disasters all over the world. Most times, he shows up after floods, tornadoes and hurricanes, helping people repair their roofs and rip out soggy carpet. “This is different,” he said. “This is total devastation. There’s nothing much we can do other than pray for the folks.” Wildfires on the rise across LA With almost no rain in more than eight months, the brush-filled region has had more than a dozen wildfires this year, mostly in the greater Los Angeles area. The four largest ones have scorched more than 63 square miles (163 square kilometers), roughly three times the size of Manhattan. Searching for victims Nearly 30 people were still missing, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Wednesday. Deputies have searched more than 5,500 properties for victims from the Eaton Fire and hoped to finish in that area by Thursday, he said. One of the victims of the Eaton Fire, 95-year-old Dalyce Curry, loved wearing big hair and makeup, her family said. She hobnobbed with stars from old Hollywood, appearing as an extra with Diana Ross in “Lady Sings the Blues” and in 1956’s “The Ten Commandments.” Entertainment community responds The Grammy awards ceremony will happen Feb. 2 and focus on helping the city’s recovery. “In challenging times, music has the power to heal, comfort and unite like nothing else,” Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. and Tammy Hurt, chair of the board of trustees, said in a letter sent to academy members that was obtained by The Associated Press.

The day and night temperatures may fall over the country in five days till Wednesday, according to Bangladesh Metrological Department(BMD). “Weather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky over the country, having chances of light rain/drizzle at one or two places over Rangpur division in 24 hours commencing 9am on Saturday.” Moderate cold wave with fog likely across the country: BMD Night temperature may rise slightly and day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country during the period, it said. Fog: Light to moderate fog may occur at places over the country during late night till morning. Ridge of sub-continental high extends up to West Bengal and adjoining area. Seasonal low lies over South Bay, extending it's trough to Northeast Bay. Dhaka’s air the world's 2nd worst this morning The country’s lowest temperature was recorded in Tentulia at 9.3 Degree Celsius today.

Light to moderate rain has been predicted in parts of three divisions of the county by Sunday evening. Country's other areas are expected to experience predominantly dry weather with partly cloudy skies, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD). The BMD says that the low-pressure system over the west-central Bay of Bengal and surrounding areas weakened into a well-marked low-pressure area on Saturday night as it moved east-northeast. In light of this development, maritime ports have been advised to lower their warning signals. Dry weather, fog, mild cold wave continue across Bangladesh: BMD Temperature Update The lowest temperature in the country was recorded in Tetulia, Panchagarh, at 10.3°C on Saturday. The BMD forecasts that daytime temperatures across the country might increase slightly today (Sunday), while nighttime temperatures may decrease marginally. On Monday, both daytime and nighttime temperatures are expected to rise slightly, while Tuesday may see a slight drop in daytime temperatures.   Rainfall Forecast By Sunday evening, light to moderate rain is likely in some areas of Khulna, Barishal, and Chattogram divisions. In contrast, other parts of the country are expected to experience mostly dry weather with partly cloudy skies. The BMD also says that no rainfall is likely  in the subsequent 24 hours. But rain may resume in different regions from Monday evening onwards.   Fog Advisory The weather office has further indicated that light to moderate fog may occur in some areas during the late-night to early-morning hours over the next few days.

Light rain or drizzle is likely to occur at one or two places over Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions on Sunday, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department. Weather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country, said a met office update. Dhaka’s air quality again turns ‘unhealthy’ Day and night temperatures may remain nearly unchanged over the country, it added. The lowest temperature in the country today was recorded at 20.3 degrees Celsius in Tetulia while the highest temperature was recorded at 34.5 degrees Celsius in Feni, said the bulletin.  

Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to keep hoisted distant cautionary signal no one as the depression over Southwest Bay and adjoining area moved west-northwards over the same area. At 6 am on Wednesday, it was centered about 1470 km southwest of Chattogram port, 1420 km southwest of Cox’s Bazar post, 1345km southwest of Mongla port and 1350 km southwest of Payra port, said a special bulletin of Met office. It is likely to move west-northwesterly direction further. Low pressure area formed over Bay Maximum sustained wind speed within 44 km of the depression centre is about 40 kph rising to 50 kph in gusts or squalls. Sea will remain moderate near the depression centre. All fishing boats and trawlers over the North Bay and deep sea have been advised to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution till further notice.  

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) on Saturday predicted light to moderate rains across the country in 24 hours commencing 9 am. “Light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to at a few places over Dhaka, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions and at one or two places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions with moderately heavy falls at places over the country,” said a Met office bulletin. Heavy downpour batters life in Chandpur; 277 mm rains recorded Day and night temperatures may remain nearly unchanged over the country. Monsoon trough runs through Bihar, West Bengal to Assam across central part of Bangladesh. Monsoon is less active over Bangladesh and weak to moderate over North Bay. The country’s highest temperature was recorded in Sayedpur at 35.4 degree Celsius on Friday while the lowest temperature 23.4 degree Celsius was recorded in Tetulia, Panchagarh till 6am on Saturday. The country’s highest 30 millimeter of rainfall was recorded in Hatiya in 24 hours till 6am on Saturday.  

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has reported that a mild cold wave is currently affecting four divisions and several districts across the country, as of the morning of January 23, 2024. This weather pattern, characterized by lower temperatures and dense fog, is expected to continue and may abate in some areas.  According to the latest weather bulletin, the mild to moderate cold wave is impacting Dhaka, Rangpur, Rajshahi, and Khulna divisions, along with the districts of Moulvibazar, Barishal, Bhola, and Cumilla. This season’s lowest temperature of 6.6 degrees Celsius was recorded today in Chuadanga and Sirajganj, contrasting with the highest temperature of 27.5 degrees Celsius in Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf upazila. The BMD classifies a mild cold wave as temperatures ranging from 8 to 10 degrees Celsius, a moderate cold wave from 6 to 8 degrees Celsius, and a severe cold wave as temperatures falling below 6 degrees Celsius. Read: Record-breaking low temperatures trigger school closures across Bangladesh  Alongside the cold wave, moderate to thick fog is expected to blanket the country from midnight to morning, potentially persisting until noon in some areas. This fog poses significant challenges to air navigation, inland river transport, and road communication. There is a slight expectation of rising night and day temperatures across the country. Furthermore, the BMD forecasts light rain or drizzle in one or two places over the Khulna division, while the rest of the country is likely to experience dry weather with partly cloudy skies. Residents, especially in the northern part of Bangladesh, have been facing severe cold for the last few days. This weather phenomenon has significantly disrupted normal life, affecting daily routines and transport services.  Read: Govt changes class schedule for primary schools due to cold wave 

Tetulia of Panchagarh district, this morning (January 03, 2024), recorded this winter's lowest temperature so far in the country at 7.4 degrees Celsius. A mild to moderate cold wave is sweeping over the districts of Dinajpur, Panchagarh, and Nilphamari, and it may continue. Dhaka recorded 14.9 degrees Celsius during this period, according to the Met office. Moderate to dense fog may prevail over the country during midnight to morning, and it may continue till noon at places across the country. Kurigram shivers as temperature drops significantly Air traffic, inland river transport, and road communication may be disrupted due to the dense fog. Night and day temperatures may remain nearly unchanged across the country. Due to dense fog, cold may prevail across the country. The weather may remain dry, with temporary partly cloudy skies over the country. Cold wave sweeps parts of country; lowest temperature recorded in Nilphamari’s Syedpur

The last 12 months were the hottest Earth has ever recorded, according to a new report by Climate Central, a nonprofit science research group. The peer-reviewed report says burning gasoline, coal, natural gas and other fossil fuels that release planet-warming gases like carbon dioxide, and other human activities, caused the unnatural warming from November 2022 to October 2023. Over the course of the year, 7.3 billion people, or 90% of humanity, endured at least 10 days of high temperatures that were made at least three times more likely because of climate change. Western and Arab officials are gathering in Paris to find ways to provide aid to civilians in Gaza "People know that things are weird, but they don't they don't necessarily know why it's weird. They don't connect back to the fact that we're still burning coal, oil and natural gas," said Andrew Pershing, a climate scientist at Climate Central. "I think the thing that really came screaming out of the data this year was nobody is safe. Everybody was experiencing unusual climate-driven heat at some point during the year," said Pershing. The average global temperature was 1.3 degrees Celsius (2.3 degrees Fahrenheit) higher than the pre-industrial climate, which scientists say is close to the limit countries agreed not to go over in the Paris Agreement — a 1.5 C (2.7 F) rise. The impacts were apparent as one in four humans, or 1.9 billion people, suffered from dangerous heat waves. At this point, said Jason Smerdon, a climate scientist at Columbia University, no one should be caught off guard. "It's like being on an escalator and being surprised that you're going up," he said. "We know that things are getting warmer, this has been predicted for decades." Israeli military tour of northern Gaza reveals ravaged buildings, toppled trees, former weapons lab Here's how a few regions were affected by the extreme heat: 1. Extreme heat fueled destructive rainfall because a warmer atmosphere holds more water vapor, which lets storms release more precipitation. Storm Daniel became Africa's deadliest storm with an estimated death toll that ranges between 4,000 and 11,000, according to officials and aid agencies. Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey also saw damages and fatalities from Storm Daniel. 2. In India, 1.2 billion people, or 86% of the population, experienced at least 30 days of elevated temperatures, made at least three times more likely by climate change. 3. Drought in Brazil's Amazon region caused rivers to dry to historic lows, cutting people off from food and fresh water. 4. At least 383 people died in U.S. extreme weather events, with 93 deaths related to the Maui wildfire event, the deadliest U.S. fire of the century. 5. One of every 200 people in Canada evacuated their home due to wildfires, which burn longer and more intensely after long periods of heat dry out the land. Canadian fires sent smoke billowing across much of North America. 6. On average, Jamaica experienced high temperatures made four times more likely by climate change during the last 12 months, making it the country where climate change was most powerfully at work. India bars protests that support Palestinians "We need to adapt, mitigate and be better prepared for the residual damages because impacts are highly uneven from place to place," said Kristie Ebi, a professor at the Center for Health and the Global Environment at the University of Washington, citing changes in precipitation, sea level rise, droughts, and wildfires. The heat of the last year, intense as it was, is tempered because the oceans have been absorbing the majority of the excess heat related to climate change, but they are reaching their limit, said Kim Cobb, a climate scientist at Brown University. "Oceans are really the thermostat of our planet ... they are tied to our economy, food sources, and coastal infrastructure."

Maritime ports of Bangladesh have been advised to hoist distant cautionary signal no. one as the deep depression over Westcentral Bay and adjoining area moved slightly north-northeastwards and now lies over the same area. At 6 am on Monday, it was centred about 840 kms West-Southwest of Chattogram port, 800 kms West-Southwest of Cox’s Bazar port, 710 kms southwest of Mongla and Payra ports, respectively, said a special Met office bulletin this morning (October 23, 2023). Read: Extreme weather kills 2 million, costs $4 trillion in 50 years: WMO It is likely to move north-northeastwards and intensify further, added the bulletin. Maximum sustained wind speed within 48 kms of the deep depression centre is about 50 kph rising to 60 kph in gusts or squalls. Sea will remain rough near the deep depression centre. Read: New weather forecasting system launched for Bangladeshi farmers Meanwhile, all fishing boats and trawlers over the North Bay and deep sea have been advised to remain closed to the coast and proceed with caution till further notice. They are also advised not to venture into the deep sea, reads the special bulletin.