Extreme suffering as mild heat wave sweeps country

A mild heat wave swept across the country on Thursday, with sweltering heat making life extremely uncomfortable.

The temperature increased after noon, aggravating the discomfort. The people in the capital mostly chose to stay indoors unless it was necessary to go out.

Masum Rahman, who lives in Tejgaon and works at a private company in Motijheel, said the heat was unbearable even when he was home.

“The ceiling fan was spinning, and still it was very hot. I felt like I would sweat heavily. My elderly parents suffered a lot,” he told The Business Post.

He said he was expecting heavy rains as that would reduce the heat.

The highest temperature in the country was recorded in Mymensingh at 37.8 degrees Celsius while that in the capital was 37 degrees Celsius. City dwellers, however, said they felt much hotter than the temperature.

Juel Rana, a resident of Karwan Bazar, said he checked the weather app on his phone at noon and the temperature’s real feel was several degrees higher.

“I went to a nearby pharmacy to buy medicines for my wife. I started sweating after walking for a few minutes. I felt like I should have brought an umbrella.”

Meteorologist Kh Hafizur Rahman said the temperature had been rising for a few days and the weather was very hot due to low rainfall even though it was mid-August.

He said rain was likely after a couple of days.

The heat wave would continue on Friday (today) as well, he said. “Its intensity will fall if the likelihood of rain increases.”

Hafizur said a low pressure had formed in the north Bay and adjacent areas, which could further condense and turn into a depression.

Due to the low pressure, ports were asked to display warning signal number three as stormy wind was predicted in coastal areas.

If the temperature rises to 36-38 degrees Celsius, it is a mild heat wave. Between 38 and 40 degrees Celsius, it is called a moderate heat wave. When the temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius, it is a severe heat wave.

It was uncomfortably hot even during the monsoon. Because of low rainfall, there was a prolonged heat wave in July.

Last year’s July also saw a heat wave that lasted for days. At the time, the highest temperature in the country rose to 39 degrees Celsius in Rajshahi and Syedpur.

On Wednesday, a mild heat wave hit Rajshahi, Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Khulna divisions. The maximum temperature in Syedpur rose to 37.5 degrees Celsius.

In April this year, the highest temperature in the country was 41.2 degrees Celsius in Rajshahi.

Heat waves have become more frequent and intense globally. They also last longer because of human-induced climate change.