Extreme heat sears Bangladesh

The Daily Star/Asia News Network

The scorching heat continues to disrupt lives across Bangladesh, forcing authorities to close down all schools and colleges until April 27.

According to the Meteorological office, relief from this heatwave is not coming anytime soon.

Kazi Jebunnesa, a meteorologist at Bangladesh Meteorological Department, said, “This heatwave will persist throughout the month [April], and the temperature may further rise over the next few days.”

On Thursday night, the Meteorological office issued a 72-hour nationwide heat alert, which was extended until April 22.

READ: ‘Hotter and hotter’: Swathes of Asia sweat in heatwave

At the beginning of this month, the heatwave began as “mild to moderate”. Temperatures dropped slightly in different parts of the country on April 7 and 8 due to rains.

However, the heatwave took a severe turn in many districts from April 15 onwards.

British daily The Guardian on April 4 reported that, according to climatologist and weather historian Maximiliano Herrera, a “historic heatwave” is being experienced across Southeast Asia.

In updates posted on X, a few days ago, Maximiliano said heat that was unprecedented for early April had been recorded at monitoring stations across the region this week.

READ: Asia heatwaves made 30 times more likely by climate change: study

Last month, the World Meteorological Organization said that even in February the region was “gripped by severe heat conditions” as temperatures frequently soared into the high 30s – well above the seasonal average.

It attributed the scorching weather to human-induced climate change, as well as the El Niño event, which brings hotter, drier conditions to the region.

An El Niño condition occurs when surface water in the equatorial Pacific becomes warmer than average and east winds blow weaker than normal.

In Bangladesh, schools and colleges were supposed to reopen today after the Eid and Pahela Baishakh holidays.

But the government has decided that all primary and secondary schools, and colleges across the country will remain closed from April 21 to 27 due to the heatwave.

The primary and mass education ministry and the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education announced the closures.