Mild heat wave continues
Monsoon showers likely from June 11
Special Correspondent
Miseries continued for the people in Rajshahi, Rangpur, Khulna, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions and other northern districts, simmering under a mild heat wave, yesterday. The mercury shot up to 37.6 degrees Celsius in Rajshahi city.
In Dhaka city, it rose to 36.1C from Wednesdays 35.2C. Those out on the heavily congested city streets went through the same experience as the past three days.
Despite an overcast sky almost throughout the day, there was no sign of rain. This made life difficult for the fasting people out on business and stuck for hours in traffic congestion.
The hot and humid spell would not last long, as monsoon showers are expected from June 11, when the system ushering in the rainy season would become fully active, Md Abdul Mannan, a senior meteorologist and rain watcher, told The Independent.
Commuters, shoppers and others had to endure another miserable day in the capital, stuck for hours in traffic congestion.
The presence of clouds increased the humidity in the air. Despite forecasts, the humidity did not produce the rain that would have brought relief to the people of Dhaka. There were scattered showers in some places though, but that did little to lessen the heat, Mannan said.
The veteran cloud gazer said monsoon rains are being delayed by the presence of a trough of westerly over West Bengal and its adjoining areas for the past few days. This prevented the rains to break in, though monsoon had already arrived in the eastern parts of the country. It was just waiting to loosen up to release its bales of rain-bearing clouds to usher in the rainy season, Mannan added.
The westerly has started moving away and rains are expected from June 11 onwards, he noted.
This was the prayer on the lips of every devout Muslim breaking his or her fast at the end of the day. They were seeking the intervention of Allah, the Almighty.
