Getting respite soon from the ongoing severe heatwave is unlikely as the mercury could climb to an unbearable level, fears the met office.
The prevailing heatwave may continue. Day and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country. Due to increase of moisture incursion, the discomfort may persist, said a bulletin issued by the Bangladesh Meteorological Department.
April is typically hot in Bangladesh as it is in other South and Southeast Asian countries, but according to meteorologists, temperatures this month have been unusually high which was highlighted by international media outlets as well.
According to the New York Times, hundreds of millions of people in South and Southeast Asia, including Bangladesh were suffering from a gruelling heatwave that has forced schools to close, disrupted agriculture, and raised the risk of heat strokes and other health complications.
Amid the hot spell, worshippers gathered in city mosques and rural fields to pray for rain to get relief from the scorching heat.
Amid the heatwave, a 50-year-old rickshaw puller died from heat stroke in Sylhet city’s Chauhatta area on Saturday morning.
The deceased was identified as Abul Hashem, 50, of Sunamgan said Md Moinuddin, officer-in-charge (OC) of Kotwali Police Station.
Mercury soared to 42.7C in Chuadanga on Saturday for the consecutive two days, breaking the 76-year record.
“Due to increase of moisture incursion, people are feeling the discomfort,” Chuadanga met office in-charge Jaminur Rahman said.
The met office on Saturday expressed fear that the country's highest temperature could break all time record next month after witnessing the longest duration of a heatwave covering all corners of Bangladesh.
“Our mathematical model analysis suggests despite some expected rainfall in parts of the country in the first week of the coming month, the country may witness the all time record temperature in May,” meteorologist Kazi Zebunnesa said.
According to met office bulletin, a very severe heatwave is sweeping Rajshahi, Chuadanga and Pabna.
Besides, Tangail, Bogura, Bagerhat, Jashore and Kushtia are experiencing severe heatwave while parts of Dhaka, Rajshahi and Khulna, Rangpur, Mymensingh and Barishal divisions, Moulvibazar, Rangamati, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni and Bandarban districts are experiencing a mild to moderate heat wave and it may continue, it said.
Meanwhile, rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely to occur at one or two places over Chattogram and Sylhet divisions with hailstone at isolated places.
The heatwave has forced the healthcare facilities to take emergency measures to provide medical services with higher number of patients reporting to hospitals with heat-related ailments since the beginning of April while the children and elderly people appeared as the most vulnerable during this prolonged hot weather.
“A large number of people are getting ill with heatstroke, dehydration, exhaustion and breathing problems and they are suffering from other heat-related diseases as well,” Director of Mugda Medical College and Hospital Dr Md Niatuzzaman said.
The other hospitals and healthcare facilities including Shishu Hospital, Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital and International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) reported identical scenarios.
"Nearly, 500 diarrhoea patients have been admitted to the International Centre for Diarrheal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B). A significant number of patients are getting admission to ICDDRB daily," ICDDR'B spokesman AKM Tariful Islam Khan said two days ago.
The health ministry issued a directive to take extra measures to face the crisis in hospitals across the country.
Doctors suggested people to stay indoors as long as possible and wear weather-suitable clothes during exposure to sun to protect themselves from heatstroke and take rest after one or two hours during working period alongside consuming more liquid food beside water to avoid dehydration during the heatwave.
"Our brains can tolerate certain level of temperature, if it exceeds people may faint, suffer heatstroke besides suffering from dehydration causing electrolyte imbalance and other complications including kidney dysfunction," former Suhrawardy Hospital director Professor Dr Khalilur Rahman said.