United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has predicted rains at several places in seven divisions of the country including Dhaka in 24 hours commencing 9:00am on Saturday. “Light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at many places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions and at a few places over Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna and Barishal divisions with moderately heavy to heavy falls at places over the country,” said a Met office bulletin. Day and night temperatures may rise slightly over the country. The axis of monsoon troughs runs through Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal to Assam across central part of Bangladesh. One of it's associated troughs extends up to north Bay. Monsoon is fairly active over Bangladesh and moderate over the north Bay.

The air quality in Dhaka remained moderate on Friday morning, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 95 at 9:10 am. With the score, the capital ranked 16th among the world's most polluted cities. Uganda's Kampala, Bahrain's Manama and Qatar's Doha occupied the top three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 179, 153 and 148, respectively. An AQI score between 50 and 100 is considered "moderate" with an acceptable air quality, while one between 101 and 150 is considered "unhealthy for sensitive groups", while a score between 151 and 200 is classified as "unhealthy." AQI readings between 201 and 300 are termed "very unhealthy", and anything above 301 is considered "hazardous", posing serious health risks. The AQI is a daily indicator of air quality, showing how clean or polluted the air is and the possible health effects people may experience. In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five major pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and ozone.

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecast rain across all eight divisions in 24 hours commencing 9 am on Thursday. According to the BMD forecast light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at most places over Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions and at many places over Rajshahi, Rangpur and Mymensingh divisions. The Met Office also predicted moderately heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at places across the country. Day and night temperatures may remain nearly unchanged across the country, the forecast said.

Dhaka ranked 4th among the world's most polluted cities on Thursday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 147 at 9:50 am.  According to the AQI scale, the city's air quality was classified as “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups”, poses health risks to children, older adults, and people with heart or lung diseases, while the general public is mostly unaffected. Portland of USA topped the global pollution list with an AQI score of 168, followed by Kampala of the  Uganda with 160 and Kinshasa of DR Congo with 159. According to AQI standards, a reading between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 151 to 200 ‘unhealthy’, 201 to 300 ‘very unhealthy’, while levels above 301 are deemed ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks. The AQI, which provides daily updates on air quality, indicates how clean or polluted the air is and highlights potential health impacts. In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five major 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, with air quality typically worsening in winter and improving during the monsoon season. The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution causes around seven million deaths globally each year, mainly due to stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.

Record-breaking heat continued to batter Japan and the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday, claiming lives, straining healthcare systems and affecting both people and animals as authorities stepped up emergency measures. South Korea, North Korea and Japan have all issued heat-related warnings as temperatures climbed to unusually high levels across the region. In South Korea, a nationwide heat wave advisory remained in effect, with temperatures reaching as high as 39 degrees Celsius in the greater Seoul area, home to about 20 million people. According to South Korea's Interior and Safety Ministry, around 2,220 people have suffered heat-related illnesses since mid-May, while 19 have died. The extreme weather has also killed more than 17,000 livestock and about 160,000 farmed fish. The southeastern city of Yangsan recorded 42.5 degrees Celsius on Sunday, the highest temperature since weather records began in the country in 1904. President Lee Jae Myung described the prolonged heat wave as "a national disaster" and directed officials to take all necessary measures to protect lives. The heat also disrupted sporting events. Two spectators in their 20s collapsed during and after a professional baseball game in Incheon on Tuesday, prompting emergency treatment. The Korea Baseball Organization later cancelled all games scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday due to the extreme weather. In North Korea, authorities issued heat wave alerts across several regions and urged residents to take precautions against heat-related illnesses. State media also carried health advice from a senior doctor at Pyongyang General Hospital, who recommended protein-rich foods, including dog meat and fish porridge, along with watermelons, cucumbers, tomatoes and mung beans to help cope with the heat. Meanwhile, Japan's Environment Ministry issued heatstroke alerts across much of the country's western and southern regions. The country's disaster management agency said more than 18,000 people were taken to hospitals with heatstroke symptoms during the week of July 20-26. The intense heat has compounded challenges in Kumamoto, where recovery efforts continue following a deadly earthquake last month. Authorities said a woman in her 70s died from heatstroke while sheltering inside a car after the quake. The heat has also affected wildlife. Tokyo's Tama Zoological Park said three female lions died after suffering severe dehydration and multiple organ failure believed to have been caused by prolonged exposure to extreme temperatures. Several other animals at the zoo also showed signs of heat-related illness.

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecast rain across all eight divisions in 24 hours commencing 9 am on Tuesday. According to the BMD forecast light to moderate rain and thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at many places over Rangpur, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions. The Met Office also predicted a few places in Rajshahi and Dhaka divisions may also experience rain or thundershowers, with moderately heavy to heavy rainfall likely at some places across the country. Day and night temperatures may remain nearly unchanged across the country, the forecast said.

Dhaka ranked 30th among the world's most polluted cities on Tuesday morning, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 73 at 8:55 am.  According to the AQI scale, the city's air quality was classified as ‘Moderate', poses moderate health concern for a very small number of unusually sensitive individuals (such as people with asthma, heart disease, or older adults). Riyadh of Saudi Arabia topped the global pollution list with an AQI score of 183, followed by Doha of the Qatar with 161 Kuwait City of Kuwait with 160. According to AQI standards, a reading between 101 and 150 is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, 151 to 200 ‘unhealthy’, 201 to 300 ‘very unhealthy’, while levels above 301 are deemed ‘hazardous’, posing serious health risks. The AQI, which provides daily updates on air quality, indicates how clean or polluted the air is and highlights potential health impacts. In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five major 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, with air quality typically worsening in winter and improving during the monsoon season. The World Health Organization estimates that air pollution causes around seven million deaths globally each year, mainly due to stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.

The air quality in Dhaka remained moderate on Monday morning, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 79 at 8 am. With the score, the capital ranked 19th among the world's most polluted cities. Uganda's Kampala, Pakistan's Lahore and Bahrain's Manama occupied the top three spots on the list, with AQI scores of 158, 154 and 147, respectively. An AQI score between 50 and 100 is considered "moderate" with an acceptable air quality, while one between 101 and 150 is considered "unhealthy for sensitive groups", while a score between 151 and 200 is classified as "unhealthy." AQI readings between 201 and 300 are termed "very unhealthy", and anything above 301 is considered "hazardous", posing serious health risks. The AQI is a daily indicator of air quality, showing how clean or polluted the air is and the possible health effects people may experience. In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five major pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and ozone.

Dhaka's air quality remained moderate on Sunday morning, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 73 at 09:20am. With the score, the capital ranked 25th among the world's most polluted cities. Indonesia’s Jakarta, the United Arab Emirates' Dubai and DR Congo’s Kinshasa occupied the first three spots on the list with AQI scores of 168, 167 and 153, respectively. Rain likely across Bangladesh, heavy falls forecast in places An AQI score between 50 and 100 is considered "moderate" with an acceptable air quality, while one between 101 and 150 is considered "unhealthy for sensitive groups", while a score between 151 and 200 is classified as "unhealthy." AQI readings between 201 and 300 are termed "very unhealthy", and anything above 301 is considered "hazardous", posing serious health risks. The AQI is a daily indicator of air quality, showing how clean or polluted the air is and the possible health effects people may experience. In Bangladesh, the AQI is calculated based on five major pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and ozone.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecast light to moderate rain or thundershowers across much of the country over the next 24 hours commencing at 9:00am on Friday, with moderately heavy rainfall expected at places. According to a BMD bulleting issued in the morning, light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty winds are likely at many places in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions, and at a few places in Rajshahi and Khulna divisions. It also said moderately heavy rainfall may occur at places across the country. Meanwhile, Chattogram division recorded the country’s highest rainfall of 82mm in the 24 hours till 6am on Friday. Day temperature may rise slightly and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country. Monsoon is fairly active over Bangladesh and moderate over the North Bay, said the BMD bulletin.