The Trend of Heatwave Is Increasing in Dhaka: Research

A study conducted by the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society, the German Red Cross, and the Bangladesh Meteorological Department said that the trend of heatwave is increasing in Dhaka.

And the heatwave is increasing the risk of various health risks, including stroke.

Md. Shahjahan, the project coordinator of the Bangladesh Red Crescent Society's Forecast Based Action, one of the research team, told the BBC that they felt the need to raise awareness by identifying heatwave as a disaster.

"The temperature in Dhaka city is rising and that is causing some problems. Especially due to the heatwave, on the one hand, the health risk is increasing and on the other hand, the working hours of the people are decreasing," he told BBC Bangla.  

He said lightning has increased a lot in recent times and similarly the temperature is also gradually increasing. That is why there is a need to raise awareness about these issues.

What is a heatwave?

Rising temperatures in Bangladesh have been making headlines for the past few years.

On April 25 this year, the 26-year-old record for the highest temperature was broken and the highest temperature recorded in the country on that day was 41.2 degrees Celsius.

According to the Meteorological Department, Chuadanga had earlier recorded a temperature of 42 degrees in 2014.

According to the World Meteorological Organization, a place where the average daily temperature rises by 5 degrees and continues for five consecutive days is called a heatwave.

However, many countries have defined it as their own.

However, when the overall temperature rises above 35 degrees, the body stops the process of cooling itself. That is why it can be dangerous for healthy people if the temperature is high.

In the meteorological department of Bangladesh, if the temperature rises to 36 to 38 degrees, it is considered as a mild heatwave, if it is 38-40 degrees, it is considered a moderate heatwave, if it is 40-42 degrees, it is considered as severe or severe and if it is more than 42 degrees, it is considered as an intense heatwave.

As such, the heatwave in Bangladesh starts from 36 degrees Celsius. But it all depends on the ability of the human body to adapt.

It is hotter in Dhaka at any time

According to a research report conducted by the Red Crescent Society, the German Red Cross and the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, Bangladesh is divided into three periods - cold and dry October to February, March to May summer and June to October monsoon.

An analysis of 44-year-old temperatures in the study found that April, May and June were the hottest months in Dhaka.

Again in August, September and October it feels quite hot in some parts of the country but it does not go to the level of heat wave or heatwave.

However, a recent review by the Meteorological Department found that the period from mid-March to September shows a trend of rising temperatures.

The research report said that inflammation causes health problems and the analysis of data during the period of inflammation shows that the death rate has increased by at least twenty percent. The incidence of various diseases including diarrhea also increased at that time.

The hottest area in Dhaka city

According to the research report, certain areas have been found in Dhaka, where the temperature is relatively high. The report describes these places as hot islands.

These areas include - Badda, Gulshan, Kamrangirchar, Mirpur, Gabtali, Goran, Basabo, Tongi, Shahid Nagar, Babubazar, Postagola, Jurain, Hazaribagh, Jatrabari, Sayedabad, Kurmitola, Azampur, Uttara, Mohammadgeh, , Nakhalpara etc. On an average, these areas have a temperature of 29 to 34.5 degrees Celsius, which rises to the point of scorching heat.

Source: BBC Bangla