Record load shedding: Countrymen distressed by heat

BD Digest Report

After two days of rain and thunderstorms, the country is again gripped by a heat wave. The mercury is rising every day. Public life has been disrupted by the scorching heat. The number of patients suffering from various heat-related diseases, including heatstroke, is increasing.

There is a shortage of drinking water in many areas. Load shedding has further increased the suffering. The Meteorological Department has expressed the fear that the temperature will continue to rise from the middle of this week. Working people are the most at risk in the heat.

The productivity of daily wage laborers, rickshaw pullers, and construction workers working in the open air has decreased. Many are falling ill, and their income is decreasing.

According to doctors, people are suffering from various problems including heatstroke, dehydration, dizziness, and vomiting in this heat wave. Children and the elderly are at the highest risk.

The incidence of diarrhea, fever, and skin problems is increasing among children, while the risk of heatstroke is increasing among the elderly and laborers. In the current situation, they advised not to go out unnecessarily, drink enough water, and take special care of children and the elderly.

In 2024, the country was gripped by a 36-day heatwave. Many people died in the heat. On April 28 alone, 17 people died of heatstroke.

The first heat-related death this year occurred in Bogra on April 2. A rickshaw puller named Abu Samad (55) lost his life to heatstroke. Leading weather models and websites like Google Weather, AccuWeather, The Weather Channel and Ventusky have predicted a sharp rise in temperature in Bangladesh from April 21. The agencies said that due to high humidity in the air, the temperature may feel 4 to 5 degrees higher than the actual temperature. The Meteorological Department’s forecast also predicts a rise in temperature in the country from April 20 to April 27. Along with the northern and western regions, the temperature will also increase in the central region.

The Weather Channel and AccuWeather forecast that Dhaka will be extremely hot from April 21 to 25. The temperature will fluctuate between 36 and 38 degrees Celsius. Google Weather is showing an ‘excessive heat’ or extreme heat wave warning for Dhaka from April 21 to 23.

Meteorologist Kazi Jebunnesa said that although the temperature may decrease slightly today due to the storm, it may increase tomorrow. The temperature may increase from April 20 to April 27. Meanwhile, along with the heat wave, there is a shortage of drinking water in various parts of the country. Especially in some districts of the northern region, water is not rising in tubewells. This shortage has arisen as the groundwater level has dropped. As the water in ponds has dried up, there has also been a shortage of drinking water in the southern region. Load shedding has further aggravated the suffering in the heat. The demand for electricity has increased due to the increased use of AC in the intense heat. At the same time, electricity production has decreased due to the fuel shortage.

This is causing load shedding in rural areas for 8 to 12 hours. Electricity supply has also started increasing in Dhaka. Load shedding has made public life more miserable during the heat. The elderly, children and sick people are suffering the most. A recent analysis by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has said that due to the increase in the temperature of the Pacific Ocean in 2026, South Asian countries including Bangladesh may experience intense heat and sudden thunderstorms.