Life becomes misery, economic activity sags amid soaring heat

Scorching summer heat, amid an agonising absence of rainfall, makes life a misery and wreaks havoc on crops and livestock.

Overall economic activity suffered a sag and squeezed daily earners' income as the highest temperature in Bangladesh fired up to a torrid 42.6 degrees Celsius Saturday, meteorologists said.

As the dogged summer days drag on, the government ordered schools and colleges to extend the expiring Eid vacation. Wearing court gowns for lawyers is made optional amid the life-sapping hot and humid weather.

The country witnessed lower rainfall of 44 mm in March and only 13 mm so far in April (until April 15) which are 8.0-percent and 80-percent lesser than the average rainfalls, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).

The condition seemed like that of last year when the country witnessed a drought between April and July as rainfalls were 16 to 66-percent lesser during the four months, affecting agriculture relentlessly.

A severe-to-very severe heatwave was sweeping over Jashore, Khulna, Dhaka, Rajshahi and Pabna regions while mild-to-moderate heatwave passing over Barishal, Mymensingh, parts of Sylhet, Noakhali and Chattogram regions. And the sunburn "might continue until April 22", said the Met Office in its Saturday evening forecast.

"The rise in humidity will also make the condition more critical," says BMD.

Jashore witnessed the maximum temp of 42.6 degrees on the day, the highest so far this year.

The whole North-West and South-West (Khulna and Rajshahi regions) were being burnt under tem between 40 and 42.6 Celsius.

Other regions have been also witnessing 37 to 39 degrees of temperature without any traceable rain.

The Directorate of General Health Services (DGHS) said three people succumbed to heatstroke on Saturday in different districts.

The education ministry, however, extended school opening to April 17 from the scheduled April 21.

Director-General of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) Badal Chandra Biswas said some rain in March helped Boro and early summer crops.

"Concern about the key cropping season Boro is now lesser as it is dependent on supplementary irrigation and the harvest of the crop has already started in the haor and other lowlands", he said.

"But we are concerned about the farming of rice in the Aus season as its cultivation has just started."

He said the Aus-season rice is rain-fed but it would now need supplementary irrigation.

Summer vegetables, jute and fruits like watermelon would also need irrigation though many areas have a lack of the facility.

He said Boro contributes 55 per cent to overall rice production but Aus has also a 7.0-8.0-percent contribution which matters a lot in terms of rice supply.

Junaid Ali, a Subarnachar in Noakhali-based farmer, said he got one-third of output from his watermelon field than that of average in April.

He said lower rain in March and April resulted in a production fall and caused him a Tk 1.5- million loss this year.

Bangladesh Poultry Association president Sumon Hawlader told the FE that apart from a rise in day-old-chick prices, severe heat and load shedding are affecting broiler chick and egg production. He said eggs production declined by 15-20 per cent in last two weeks amid such heat.

Bangladesh Dairy Farmers Association president Imran Hossain told the FE that maintaining cross-breed modern cattle species "has become toughest amid random droughts in April-June period for last few years".

He said electricity consumption has been increasing doubly as Friesian or Brahma or other developed species need a cooler place.

He said weight of the animal will also be lesser if such drought persists as it could lessen production of healthy grasses.

Meteorologist Dr Sadekul Alam told the FE that the rest of the April days might remain dry and there is little chance for any relief.

"But it is too early to predict on the rainfall in May. We could forecast accurately from April 30 about that of May."

Meanwhile, US-based National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center (CPC) says the La Nina weather pattern characterised by unusually cold temperatures in the Pacific Ocean could emerge in the second half of 2024 after a strong El Nino year in 2023-24.

El Niño is a global climate phenomenon that warms the surface waters of the equatorial Pacific Ocean. It affects the atmosphere's ionosphere and surrounding climate. The opposite is La Nina that brings rain and resultant flooding.

The pattern typically brings higher rainfall to Australia, Southeast Asia and India and drier weather to grain- and oilseed-producing regions of the Americas.

However, many climatologists believe El Nino phase in 2023 had caused drought in several regions, including Bangladesh, in the year and this way La Nina could affect the country in the late-monsoon period with higher rainfall. 

They also attribute the erratic weather patterns of excessive rain somewhere and droughts somewhere else across the planet by turns to impact of global climate change, affecting normal course of life and economic activity.

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