10 heatwave spells likely in three months: BMD

Bangladesh may face as many as 10 heatwave spells over the next three months, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecast, amid warnings from the United Nations (UN) weather agency that El Niño could trigger more frequent and intense extreme weather events globally.

Meteorologists have warned that the country may receive less rainfall and experience higher temperatures than usual during the monsoon as a result of El Niño.

The UN weather agency has warned that a moderate to potentially strong El Niño is likely to develop between June and August, which could raise global temperatures and significantly increase the risk of extreme weather events worldwide.

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) issued the alert in a news release on Tuesday, saying that there was an 80 per cent chance of an El Niño event - marked by unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean - between June and August and a roughly 90 per cent chance of it forming by November this year.

"Bangladesh would face at least eight to 10 spells of heatwave during the June-August period of this year," Md Shaheenul Islam, a meteorologist at the BMD, told The Financial Express on Wednesday.

He also said rainfall over the country was likely to be below normal during this period.

The BMD had already issued its long-range weather forecast for the June-August period, taking into account projections from various organisations, including WMO, he added.

A mild heatwave sweeping across 41 districts in Bangladesh, including the capital, might ease by tomorrow, said the BMD on Wednesday.

It said Dhaka, Narayanganj, Tangail, Faridpur, Madaripur, Gopalganj, Manikganj, Mymensingh, Chandpur, Noakhali, Brahmanbaria, Lakshmipur, Barishal, Patuakhali, and Bhola districts, the eight districts in the Rajshahi division, the eight in Rangpur, and the 10 in Khulna were experiencing a mild to moderate heatwave, which would continue today (Thursday) and might ease by tomorrow.

The BMD also forecast light to moderate rains or thundershowers with squally or gusty winds and lightning in some places in the Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions, and one or two places in the Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, and Barishal divisions on Wednesday, and in some places in the Rangpur, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions and one or two places in the Rajshahi, Khulna, and Barishal divisions on Thursday (today).

BMD Meteorologist Md Abdul Hamid Mia said if it rained, the temperature might decrease slightly, but the heatwave would continue in most parts of the country on Thursday (today).

The BMD also said the day temperature might decrease slightly and the night temperature might remain nearly unchanged on Thursday (today).

siddique.islam@gmail.com, talhabinhabib@yahoo.com