It was another day of heat and humidity and traffic congestion, all of which added to the miseries of Dhaka’s residents yesterday (Sunday). However, light rains might soothe the capital today (Monday) and Tuesday, said sources in the Met Office. The mercury dipped to 33.8 degrees Celsius as the maximum temperature. But an overcast sky, with the cloud cover pierced by a blazing sun and a windless ambience, only added to the misery of the capital’s denizens as they gasped under such stifling weather conditions. However, it was not as bad as Saturday, on which temperatures had risen as high as 35.1 degrees C.

Scanty rainfall of 1mm till 6pm yesterday (Sunday), however, failed to cool the city and to shake off its heat and humidity. People sought relief from whirling ceiling and table fans, at shady spots inside markets and their centrally air conditioned halls, or at the entrances to some of the city’s swanky shopping malls.

But the scanty shower only added to the misery of people out on business, with congested streets full of traffic after a reported VIP movement, said sources. They expressed their frustration at the unmanageable traffic gridlocks down from the city centre to the outskirts.

It might take a couple of days for such weather patterns to dissipate, with more light rainfall likely in the next 24 hours, Ruhul Kuddus, a meteorologist at the Dhaka Met Office, told The Independent yesterday (Sunday) evening. He said, “The reason for the situation in the country was the brewing of a low pressure in the north Bay of Bengal during the next 24 hours. This has brought the extra load of moisture-laced southerly air, causing perspiration along with heat. These make one suffer badly.”

Instead of rains during the rainy season, it is the heat which is dominant. The monsoon is still ruling the weather front, as it is fairly active over the country. A trough of its axis extends all the way from western India to north-eastern India down northern Bangladesh, also stretching to the northern Bay. The meteorologist said, “The forecast for the next 24 hours, beginning at 6pm yesterday (Sunday), noted light to moderate rain/thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty winds, likely over Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions, with moderately heavy to heavy rainfall over the northern part of the country.”

The day temperature today (Monday) may fall slightly and the night temperature should remain nearly unchanged. During the next five days, there would be some rain, though not that heavy, Kuddus added.