Persistent Humidity Traps Dhaka in Stifling Heat Despite Showers

Dhaka residents face an ongoing battle with oppressive, muggy weather as the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) confirmed that daytime temperatures are unlikely to yield. Despite the uncomfortable, moisture-laden atmosphere gripping the capital, meteorologists have forecast widespread rain and thundershowers across the country. Some regions are anticipated to experience moderately heavy to heavy downpours, which may offer brief, localized relief but will do little to shift the overarching seasonal pattern.

According to the specialized morning bulletin issued for the capital and its surrounding districts, the sky will alternate between partly cloudy and overcast. Showers are expected to break out intermittently throughout the day, accompanied by south and south-easterly winds blowing at speeds of 10 to 15 kilometres per hour. However, because these winds are originating from the maritime environment of the Bay of Bengal, they are carrying an immense volume of water vapour, reinforcing the city’s greenhouse-like conditions.

The meteorological centre’s instruments recorded a morning temperature of 28.1 degrees Celsius at 6:00 am, paired with a relative humidity level of 85 per cent. This exceptionally high moisture content explains why the weather feels far more punishing than the thermometer indicates. The previous day’s maximum temperature peaked at 31.4 degrees Celsius, while the lowest temperature recorded for the current cycle stood at 28 degrees Celsius. Over the preceding 24 hours, the capital witnessed only a trace amount of rainfall—a negligible volume that served only to increase evaporation and exacerbate the mugginess.

Met Office Observations for the Capital

• 6:00 AM Temperature: 28.1°C

• Relative Humidity: 85%

• Maximum Recorded Temperature: 31.4°C

• Minimum Recorded Temperature: 28.0°C

• 24-Hour Precipitation: Trace amounts

On a national scale, the active monsoon trough ensures that wet weather will be distributed unevenly across the country’s administrative divisions. The BMD notes that light to moderate rain or thundershowers, alongside temporary gusty winds, are highly likely to impact most areas within the Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Sylhet divisions. Meanwhile, many areas across the Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, and Chattogram divisions will also see precipitation.

The persistent nature of this “sticky heat” is a classic hallmark of the regional summer monsoon. When relative humidity reaches such elevated levels, the human body is unable to effectively evaporate sweat, which is the primary biological method for shedding heat. As a result, the perceived temperature, or heat index, remains remarkably high. While the met office suggests that night-time temperatures may dip marginally across Bangladesh, daytime conditions will remain uncomfortably warm, trapping urban areas like Dhaka in a cycle of persistent atmospheric discomfort.