Heat wave to continue in Bangladesh for at least two more days

The heat wave that is baking vast swathes of Bangladesh is likely to continue for at least two more days, meteorologists say.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 22 May 2015, 05:12 PM
Updated : 22 May 2015, 09:00 PM

Occasional rains have failed to pull the temperature down, which rose to 37.8 degrees Celsius in Rajshahi and Jessore on Friday.

An official at the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said humidity had made the heat unbearable.

Friday’s forecast said the mild to moderate heat wave sweeping over Rajshahi and Khulna divisions may hit parts of Dhaka and Barisal.

Day and night temperature may rise slightly across the country in the next 24 hours.

Meteorologists say such heat waves are common in summer.

 “The ongoing heat wave will continue for at least two more days,” a BMD official told bdnews24.com.

BMD Director Md Shah Alam warned of more such heat waves later this month.

He said one or two severe heat waves (above 40 degrees) could hit Bangladesh’s north and north-west region.

Another two or three mild (36-38 degrees) or moderate (38-40 degrees) ones could hit other areas.

The temperature is likely to drop at the onset of monsoon in the first half of June.

However, BMD says there could be incessant rainfall in the north-east region and flash floods in the hills at the end of May.

In its forecast, BMD said a low was lying over West Bengal and adjoining area extending its trough to the north of the Bay of Bengal while the southwest monsoon advanced up to Rangoon coast.

It said there could be rain or thunder showers accompanied by gusty or squally winds in Rangpur, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions.

The weather in other parts of Bangladesh is likely to remain dry with temporary partly cloudy sky.