Little relief expected from baking heat in April, forecast says

The heatwave sweeping through Bangladesh and making life difficult for residents is unlikely to abate any time soon.

Though the mercury had dipped slightly in the past couple of days, the temperature is forecast to start rising again from Tuesday.

Meteorologist Tariful Newaz Kabir sees little chance of heavy rain or other forms of relief from the heat in the last week of April.

“The temperature will rise today,” he said. “This will continue going forward. There is no chance of heavy rain or an easing of the heat.”

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department issued a three-day warning regarding the ongoing heatwave on Monday.

The latest bulletin from the BMD states, “The mild to severe heatwave sweeping across the country may persist. Excess humidity in the air can increase discomfort.”

On Saturday, the mercury hit 42.6 degrees Celsius in Jashore, a record for the year. The temperature has hit a high of 40.4 degrees Celsius in Dhaka.

Though the heat eased slightly on Sunday, it spread out to 51 districts. The highest temperature across the country was 42.2 degrees Celsius in Chuadanga, while the mercury rose to 38.2 degrees Celsius in Dhaka.

The heat eased slightly on Monday. Khulna, Jashore, and Chuadanga recorded temperatures of 40.6 degrees Celsius, the highest in the country. Dhaka recorded a high of 37.8 degrees Celsius.

When the mercury rises to between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius, meteorologists consider it a light heat wave. A moderate heat wave occurs between temperatures of 38-40 degrees Celsius. A severe heat wave occurs when the temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius.

The forecast for Tuesday says the Rajshahi, Pabna, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jashore, Chuadanga, and Kushtia districts are experiencing a severe heat wave, while mild to moderate heat waves can be seen in Moulvibazar, Rangamati, the Dhaka, Rangpur and Barishal Divisions, and parts of the Rajshahi and Khulna Divisions. This is likely to continue.

“Daytime temperatures are likely to rise slightly across the country, while night temperatures will remain largely unchanged. The excess water vapour in the air may lead to greater discomfort.”

The 24-hour forecast from 9am on Tuesday says a couple of places in the Sylhet Division may experience gusty winds and rain or thundershowers. There may be scattered hail in some places.

Elsewhere in the country, the weather will remain dry with partly cloudy skies.

“If there is a large storm in a week or so, it could bring relief to the public,” meteorologist Bazlur Rashid said on Monday.

Several people have died in the scorching heat of the past few days. Doctors believe they died of ‘heat stroke’.

The government has closed schools and colleges for seven days amid the intense heat, while many universities have switched to online classes.