For over a week, Bangladesh has been experiencing mild to moderate heat waves. Although a splash of rain has intermittently drenched parts of the country, it did not reduce the heat, and many people—mainly children and the elderly—are falling ill. There is also a high risk of a heat stroke, experts fear.
The Met Office said a severe heat wave is scorching the districts of Chuadanga and Bagerhat, while a mild to moderate heat wave is sweeping over Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka, and parts of Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong, and Sylhet divisions.
The severity may ease in some other places in the next 24 hours, according to a bulletin from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).
Chuadanga recorded the country’s highest temperature on Wednesday at 40.6°C, with Jessore coming in second with 39.8 degrees. The lowest was recorded in Nikli, Kishoreganj, at 20.2°C.
Last year, Chuadanga, a district close to the Tropic of Cancer, reported the maximum temperature in the country at 42.8°C, the highest in nine years.
An all-time highest temperature in the country was recorded at 45.1°C in Rajshahi on May 30, 1972.
Khulna is the most affected division that has seen the record highest temperature in the country for decades, with Jessore at 42.4°C and Chuadanga at 42°C on April 24, 2014. Dhaka's highest temperature was 40.7°C, or the maximum in 54 years (42.3°C on April 30, 1960).
Chuadanga also recorded the highest temperature of 39.1°C alongside Ishwardy in 1995. It remained the hottest day among all districts until 2012, according to the Met Office.
Experts suggest that people in cities and villages avoid going outside unless necessary, since the sudden rise in temperature may increase heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke, diarrhoea, and pneumonia in children.
According to the World Bank Group, temperatures in Bangladesh ranged from 15-35°C on average between 1901 and 2020. The warmest months were April through July, with an average temperature of 28°C and highs ranging from 30-35°C to 36°C.
However, in 2023, those figures rose, regularly going above 35°C and occasionally going past 40°C.
What is a heat wave?
According to the World Health Organisation, a heat wave is defined as at least five days where temperatures in an area are five degrees Celsius above the daily average.
The Met Office defines temperatures of 36-38°C as a mild heat wave, 38-40°C as a moderate heat wave, and temperatures above 40°C as an intense heat wave.
Unicef issues warning
Warning of the sweltering heat across East Asia and the Pacific, Unicef said on April 9 that the heat waves will put children’s lives at risk. The organization said parents and caregivers should take extra precautions to protect children’s health in the coming weeks.
Unicef estimates that hotter and longer heat waves across the region expose around 243 million children, putting them at risk of a variety of heat-related illnesses and even death.
No end in sight
The Met Office issued its third heat wave warning of the month on Tuesday, advising caution due to the likelihood of scorching temperatures persisting for the next 72 hours and possibly rising even higher.
Yesterday, however, it was stated that rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind are likely to occur at one or two locations over the Chittagong and Sylhet divisions. The rains might come with hail at places, it added.
Due to the heatwave, the day and night temperatures may remain nearly unchanged throughout the country.
