Temperature may drop, rain likely in a day or two

The temperature may drop across the country and rainfall may increase in a day or two, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department said today.

Rain or thundershower, accompanied by temporary squally wind, is likely to occur at one or two places in Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions.

Weather will remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky elsewhere across the country.

In its 24-hour forecast this evening, the Met office said severe heatwave is sweeping over Dinajpur, Rajshahi, Pabna and Chuadanga districts. Mild to moderate heatwave is sweeping over Dhaka and Barishal divisions and it may continue in Khulna division, Panchagarh, Rangpur, Nilphamari, Moulvibazar, Rangamati, and Bandarban districts and other parts of Rajshahi division, the Met office added.

Today's highest temperature was 42.8C in Chuadanga and Ishwardi of Pabna.

Rashed Chowdhury, adjunct professor at School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment of Arizona State University, said a jet stream, relatively narrow bands of strong wind in the upper levels of the atmosphere, that flow from west to east is thought to be responsible for this heatwave.

"The hypothesis is that the changing temperature difference between the equator and the North Pole could slow down this key weather maker (the jet stream), especially during the summer," he said while talking to The Daily Star.

These kinds of interconnected heatwaves could become even more extreme in the future, as human-caused climate change affects the jet streams, he added.

People across the country are reeling from the unbearable heat over the last couple of days.

Meanwhile, poultry farmers are also facing challenges as broiler chickens are dying of heatstroke.

Shahinur Rahman, a farmer of Belgacha union of Kurigram Sadar upazila, said he is rearing 1,000 broilers but 30 chickens died of heatstroke over the last four days.

Poultry farmer Mehedi Hasan of Harishwar Kaloa village in the upazila said it had become difficult to control the temperature in his chicken shed as power cuts render the electric fans useless.