There were at least 23 days of heatwaves this April, equaling the record for the entire year of 2019.
Unless something miraculous happens, there will still be heat waves today.
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Meteorologist Abul Kalam Mallick of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department told The Daily Star that as of yesterday, heatwaves had continued for 23 days this month and the record for heatwave days in a year since 1948 was set to be broken on Friday.
Meteorological department considers it as a heat wave if the temperature is more than 36 degree Celsius for at least two consecutive days.
According to the information of the department, heat wave started in Rajshahi division from last April 1. Till April 4, the division recorded temperature of 36 to 39 degree Celsius.
Then the temperature rose in Dhaka, Khulna and Rangpur divisions and continued for two days.
On April 8, temperatures above 36 degrees Celsius were recorded in Cox’s Bazar and Sitakunda.
Meteorologist Abul Kalam Mallick said the temperature was below 36 degrees Celsius across the country on April 9 and 10.
He said that the heat spread across the country from April 11.
The Meteorological Department considers temperatures between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius as mild heat wave, between 38 and 40 degrees Celsius as moderate heat wave, between 40 and 42 degrees Celsius as severe heat wave and above 42 degree Celsius as extreme heat wave.
Experts say that scientific evidence and climate records suggest that Bangladesh has been experiencing warming and its persistence over the past few decades.
Heat wave is relatively high in Rajshahi, Pabna, Chuadanga and Jessore.
Recently published by the Department of Meteorology, the ‘Climate Change in Bangladesh’ report shows that both the minimum and maximum temperatures in the country are increasing, but the maximum temperature is increasing rapidly.
Senior Global Futures Scientist Professor Rashed Chowdhury of the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory at Arizona State University in the United States said that El Nino is turning into La Nina and this year could be the warmest on record.
During El Nino, the monsoon winds weaken, the surface waters of the Pacific Ocean warm, and the easterly winds become weaker than normal.
During La Niña, winds are stronger than normal throughout the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile, much of the Pacific Ocean remains cooler than normal.
British newspaper The Guardian reported on April 4 that, according to climatologist and weather historian Maximiliano Herrera, a ‘historic heat wave’ is being felt across Southeast Asia.
Last month, the World Meteorological Organization said February also saw “extreme heat observed” in Southeast Asia. Because during that time the temperature often rose up to 30 degrees Celsius, which is higher than normal.
