Mercury in Dhaka hits 58-year high, drops slightly in Chuadanga

To school teacher Jahurul Islam, his family members, and obviously, all of his neighbours in and around Jagannathpur of Chuadanga district, the last couple of days appeared terribly hotter than the hot April days of previous years.

"We are struggling with an intolerable heat wave. Neither we can go outside, particularly at daytime, nor we feel relieved at home under heat-generating ceiling fans. Even after taking baths more than one time, we feel like we're being boiled," said Jahurul, a senior teacher at Natuda Primary School. 

For the fourth consecutive day on 16 April, a severe heat wave continued to sweep over vast swathes of Bangladesh.

Although the Chuadanga people felt a drop in temperature for the first time since 3 April, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department recorded 41.8 degrees Celsius -- highest in Bangladesh -- across the Jashore-Chuadanga region on Sunday. 

The previous day, the region was baked at 42.2 degrees Censius -- the highest in the last nine years. 

Mostofa Kamal Palash, Weather and Climate researcher at  University of Saskatchewan, informed TBS that temperature would break all-time high in Chuadanga, Meherpur, Rajshahi, Kushtia, Jashore, Jhenaidah on 18,19 and 20 April.

On Sunday, Dhaka recorded its highest temperature in 58 years at 40.6 degree Celsius, with 12 other districts also experiencing temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius, according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department Abdul Alim, meteorological assistant of Record section.

In its 24 hours weather bulletin issued on Sunday at 6pm, the Meteorological Department  forecasted the day temperature (Monday) to remain nearly unchanged but night temperature to rise.

Rain was expected at the end of five days from the issuance of the Met office's evening-time weather bulletin on Sunday.

Palash also predicts that temperatures in Dhaka will start to fall from 20 April, with Rajshahi and Khulna divisions following suit from 22 April.