Heat wave blistering across country

A mild heat wave is blistering across the country, making public life miserable. With it are on the rise various diseases like diarrhoea, viral fever and jaundice in capital Dhaka and elsewhere in the country due to scorching heat and severe water pollution. People especially elderly and children are being infected with these diseases every day throughout the country.

Hospitals and clinics in Dhaka, other metropolitan cities, district towns and upazila headquarters have also been experiencing an unusual inrush of patients. The mild heat wave sweeping over Chattogram, Barishal, Khulna and Sylhet divisions and the regions of Dhaka, Faridpur, Madaripur, Rajshahi, Pabna and Sayedpur may linger for some more days, said a meteorological officer on Thursday.

According to the Met Office, a low has developed over Equatorial Indian Ocean and adjoining South Bay. Trough of low lies over North Bay. “Weather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky over the country,” the official said, adding temperatures of days and nights may remain nearly unchanged. Life in Dhaka has been more afflicted due to baking heat as glass-walled skyscrapers reflect most part of the sun rays, pushing temperature up even further.

And these multi-storey buildings are also blocking cooling breeze. Besides, exhausts from cars and air-conditioners are also adding to the swelter. As scorching heat continued on Thursday, city’s roads and streets witnessed a low presence of commuters. And many people stayed indoors to seek refuge from the heat wave. The few commuters who had to come out on an inevitable livelihood reason were seen drinking fruit juice or lemonade at roadside stalls. 

According to the meteorological office, temperature in Dhaka was recorded at 38.7 degree Celsius on Thursday while the highest temperature was recorded in Khulna at 39.4 degree Celsius.