Hotter than Hot: Scorching heat ahead for South Asian nations including China, Bangladesh

Parts of Bangladesh have been experiencing strong heat waves for 15 days straight as of Wednesday 19 April, and there are slim chances of rain breaking the harsh stretch, according to a local newspaper. The country witnessed its highest temperature for almost 60 years in the past week. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has advised people to stay prepared to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr in a hot and humid environment, particularly in the western region of the country, reported New Age. 

South Asia Heatwave 

According to BMD, there is a possibility of scattered rain, light to moderate in pockets of northern, central, and southern Bangladesh today, which could help to bring the temperature down. "Overall, the atmosphere will remain hot and humid," Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs meteorologist Bazlur Rashid told New Age. Further, he added, "Increasing humidity, with an increased flow of southerly wind and clouds from the Bay of Bengal, may keep the feeling of heat intense despite a slight drop in temperature in places visited by rain."

Due to the heatwave, the country has also been facing an acute shortage of electricity and would continue to face load shedding across Bangladesh. BMD’s 24-hour weather bulletin issued at 6:00 pm informed that a severe heat wave was sweeping over Rajshahi, Pabna, Chuadanga, Jashore, and Kushtia.

South Asia has been witnessing heatwaves and countries including China, Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Bangladesh have witnessed record-breaking - scorching temperatures. On Tuesday, China has seen the temperature as high as 42.4°C  in Yuanyang, in the southeast – only 0.3°C from the country-wide record for April, reported CNN citing Herrera. The temperature in these countries has been topping 40°C for many days, reported CNN. 

Thailand has topped 45°C for the first time in its history, as per the Herrera report citing the Thai Meteorological Department. The northwest city of Tak witnessed 45.4°C on the weekend (Saturday). However, some parts of the countries have been in the upper 30s to low 40s since late March. The Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has also shared his concerns over the “dangerously high temperatures in various parts of Thailand”, reported CNN.