DHAKA, April 2  (V7N) –  The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) today forecasted a mild heatwave in the western part of the country over the next 24 hours, commencing from 9 am.  

According to a Met office bulletin, “Mild heat wave may sweep over the western part of the country.”  

It also predicted rain in different parts of the country: “Rain/thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind and lightning flashes are likely to occur at one or two places over Dhaka, Mymensingh, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions.” Weather elsewhere is expected to remain mainly dry with partly cloudy skies.  

Day and night temperatures may rise by 1–2 degrees Celsius across the country. On Wednesday, the highest temperature was recorded at 36.8°C in Rajshahi, while today’s minimum was 19.7°C in Tetulia under Rangpur division. The sun will set at 6:14 pm today and rise at 5:49 am tomorrow in Dhaka.  

Meanwhile, Dhaka ranked ninth among the world’s most polluted cities Thursday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 153 at 9:22 am, classified as ‘unhealthy’ according to AQI standards.  

Dakar in Senegal, Chiang Mai in Thailand, and Delhi in India occupied the top three positions with AQI scores of 299, 282, and 199 respectively.  

The AQI is calculated in Bangladesh based on five key pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and ozone.  

Dhaka has long struggled with air pollution, which typically worsens in winter and improves during the monsoon season. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that air pollution causes about seven million deaths worldwide annually, primarily from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.  

END/CLM/RH