The mercury on Thursday rose to 40 degrees Celsius, the highest rise so far this season, sending the people on the streets panting for water and cool air in Rajshahi and the adjacent areas.
Local met office said a mild heat wave hit most of the northern districts, restricting people’s movement particularly during mid-day when the heat was at its peak.Low-income groups, including day labourers and rickshaw-pullers, are most hard hit by the summer heat, forcing many to remain off work.
The city roads and markets wore a deserted look during the daytime, as people took shelter in their homes. Those who are unable to buy an IPS system or generator are the worst sufferers from the scorching heat.
‘It’s too hot for me. I drank one can [plastic litre bottle] of water an hour ago but my body still seems to be boiling,’ said Abul Kalam, a rickshaw puller from Boalia.
A traffic policeman standing at a corner at the Gourhanga rail crossing almost collapsed, not realising how much heat he had endured while standing in the scorching sunlight at noon.
‘I could not take the heat anymore. I was feeling drowsy and at one stage almost collapsed,’ said Abu Zamal.
Officials said temperatures this season may set a new record. ‘We are not certain about the mercury descending in the northern districts in the next few days, but it is assumed by the existing trend that this season’s mercury may cross last year’s record,’ said an official of the local met office Thursday afternoon.
Meanwhile, demand for seasonal fruits like pineapples, watermelons, green coconut has increased in the city because of hot weather. Many people were seen taking those at different city points.
Physicians at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital have advised people to drink enough water, if possible cold and particularly during the daytime, to avoid dehydration.
Mahbubur Rahman Khan, associate professor of medicine of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, told New Age that children, newborn babies, elderly people and cardiac patients suffer most due to sultry weather.
‘People should take sufficient oral saline and water in the heat to protect them from dehydration,’ he said.
In the meantime, the mango farmers of Rajshahi region are worried that they might get a poor production this year as the young mango fruits are falling off the trees because of the sultry weather.
Although there was abundant budding on the mango trees, premature falling off the young fruits is posing a serious threat to production this season, growers as well as horticulture researchers feared.
They attributed the damage to the impact of climate change and vagary of nature.
-With New Age input