Environment
Dhaka’s air quality still ‘unhealthy’, 3rd worst in the world today
Dhaka has ranked third on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality with an AQI index of 197 at 9 am this morning (March 19, 2024).
Dhaka’s air was classified as 'unhealthy' for the second consecutive day today, according to the air quality index.
India’s Delhi, Pakistan’s Lahore and Nepal’s Kathmandu occupied the first, second and fourth spots on the list, with AQI scores of 265, 264 and 193 respectively.
When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
Dhaka’s air quality 3rd worst in the world this morning
Dhaka's air quality was categorised as ‘very unhealthy’ this morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 206 at 9 am, Dhaka ranked third on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.
Pakistan’s Lahore and India’s Delhi occupied the first two spots on the list, with AQI scores of 238 and 228 respectively.
An AQI between 150 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
Dhaka air unhealthy for sensitive groups this morning
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
Dhaka’s air continues to be ‘unhealthy’
Dhaka’s air continues to be ‘unhealthy’ as it ranked eighth on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality with an AQI score of 160 at 9 am this morning (March 17, 2024).
Pakistan’s Lahore, India’s Delhi and Thailand’s Chiang Mai occupied the first, second and third spots on the list, with AQI scores of 254, 240 and 179 respectively.
When the AQI value for particle pollution is between 101 and 150, air quality is considered ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, between 150 and 200 is ‘unhealthy’, between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
The AQI, an index for reporting daily air quality, informs people how clean or polluted the air of a certain city is and what associated health effects might be a concern for them.
The AQI in Bangladesh is based on five pollutants: particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2, and ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
As per World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, mainly due to increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.
Meteorologists say this year's warm winter provided key ingredient for Midwest killer tornadoes
This winter's record warmth provided the key ingredient for a Midwest outbreak of deadly tornadoes and damaging gorilla hail that hit parts of the Midwest Wednesday and Thursday, tornado experts said.
At least three people were killed in Thursday's tornado outbreak in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Arkansas, which came a day after large hail struck Kansas. It's a bit early, but not unprecedented, for such a tornado outbreak usually associated with May or April, but that's also because of the hottest winter in both U.S. and global records, meteorologists said.
“In order to get severe storms this far north this time time of year, it's got to be warm,” said Northern Illinois University meteorology professor Victor Gensini.
TORNADO RECIPE
For tornadoes and storms with large hail to form, two key ingredients are needed: wind shear and instability, said Gensini and National Severe Storms Laboratory scientist Harold Brooks.
Wind shear, which is when winds whip around at differing directions and speeds as they rise in altitude, is usually around all winter and much of spring because it's a function of the normal temperature difference we see across the country, Gensini said.
But instability, which is that juicy warm humid air close to the ground that is the signature of summer, is usually missing this time of year, Gensini and Brooks said.
That's because normally in the winter and into early spring, Arctic air plunges south, pushing the warm moist air south into the Gulf of Mexico, leaving dry stable cool air in its place, said Matt Elliott, the warning coordination meteorologist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. And that cool stable air keeps tornadoes and large hail from forming.
But not this year. There was only one real Arctic blast this year and that was two months ago, the meteorologists said.
“When we're warmer than normal we tend to get more warm tornadoes in the winter time,” Brooks said. “It's not necessarily a causal affect, perhaps they're both happening because of the same thing.”
STORMY MIDWEST
Hunter Vance, 27, of Lakeview, Ohio, was talking with a friend on the phone when sirens began to blare. So he sought shelter inside his bathtub for 20 minutes. Then he came out to see the devastation.
Weather forecast: Scattered rain with gusty winds in four divisions, BMD says
He remembers severe weather last year, but not this early.
“And it’s never been worse than this,” he added.
Gensini ticks off five tornado or large outbreaks in the Midwest or Great Lakes area in the past five weeks, which he said is unusual: Wisconsin getting its first-ever February tornado on Feb. 8; 32 tornadoes, including one a quarter-mile from his house on Feb. 27; large hail and a tornado around the Illinois-Iowa border on March 4; the gorilla hail of 4 inches and some tornadoes on March 13 and the tornadoes on March 14 that killed at least 3 people in Ohio and hit elsewhere across the Midwest.
Tornado activity this time of year is much more common in the South, with what's happening “much further north than we normally expect,” Gensini said.
NOAA's Elliott said it may be a tad early, but this is about the time of year that severe storms start to ramp up in the Midwest, but they do not usually peak until May.
What happened this week “is really a typical springtime event,” Elliott said.
Even after Thursday, the year is running slightly below normal in terms of number of tornadoes and tornado fatalities, according to NOAA's Storm Prediction Center. Before Thursday, tornadoes had only killed two people, which is far less than the 15-year average of a dozen before March 14.
EL NINO FACTOR
What also makes the Midwest outbreaks unusual is that there's an El Nino, though it is starting to fade. The natural El Nino, which is a warming of the central Pacific that changes weather worldwide, often leads to fewer severe storms in the Midwest especially in the spring, studies show.
That's not the case.
Gensini, who co-authored one of the studies, and Columbia University's Adam Sobel, who co-wrote another, both said the El Nino factor is just one of several variables and only tilts the odds slightly.
Brooks said he doesn't really trust El Nino as a springtime signal.
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CLIMATE CHANGE
No one has done the traditional scientific studies that link specific tornado outbreaks to human-caused climate change. There are so many issues that make that difficult, including poor tornado records in the past and tornadoes being small weather events for global climate models.
And among all the severe weather events such as floods, hurricanes, droughts and heat waves, tornadoes have been one of the thornier issues in connecting to climate change. There may be something there, but it's likely only a small factor, Brooks said.
But given how off the charts temperatures and other climate variables have been, Gensini said, "if there ever was a fingerprint of climate change on severe weather it would be this year.”
Gensini has not made any formal attribution studies, but said “if you look at the recent Februaries and Marches in terms of the number of tornadoes, it's pretty easy to see that a change is happening," comparing it to the effect of steroids on baseball home runs in the 1990s and early 2000s.
MORE SOON
Because of other natural climate factors, Gensini said there's a strong chance for another Midwest outbreak of tornadoes in the end of March or early April.
After that, Gensini said it could be a busy tornado spring for the Midwest, but there's also a chance that the Midwest will skip spring and go right to summer in terms of climate and then the storms would die down.
Last year tornado activity was as much as double the average through April and “then May was completely dead," NOAA's Elliott said.
Weather forecast: Scattered rain with gusty winds in four divisions, BMD says
Scattered rain or thunder showers with temporary gusty winds were forecasted in the country, according to BMD latest weather bulletin on Saturday.
Weather forecast: Scattered thunderstorms in parts of country, BMD says
The areas likely to be affected include one or two places in Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal and Dhaka divisions, as well as Cumilla and Noakhali. Elsewhere, the weather is expected to remain mostly dry with temporary partly cloudy skies.
Dhaka’s air 5th worst in the world this morning
Temperatures are expected to rise slightly across the country, for both daytime highs and nighttime lows, it said.
Weather forecast: Scattered thunderstorms in four divisions, BMD says
Dhaka’s air 5th worst in the world this morning
Dhaka's air quality was categorised as “unhealthy" this morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 172 at 8:06 am, Dhaka ranked fifth on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.
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Thailand’s Chiang Mai, Pakistan’s Lahore, China’s Beijing and India’s Delhi occupied the first four spots on the list, with AQI scores of 224, 186, 185 and 173, respectively.
An AQI between 150 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
Dhaka air quality turns ‘moderate’
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.
Dhaka air third worst in the world this morning
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
Weather forecast: Scattered thunderstorms in four divisions, BMD says
Scattered rain or thunderstorms with temporary gusty winds are expected to affect one or two places within Khulna, Barishal, Dhaka, and Sylhet divisions, including the regions of Cumilla and Noakhali, according to BMD latest weather bulletin.
Rain or thunder showers likely in parts of country: Met office
The weather is expected to remain mostly dry with occasional partly cloudy skies elsewhere in the country.
Rain likely in Dhaka, 2 other divisions this week: BMD
There may be a slight increase in daytime temperatures, while nighttime temperatures are expected to remain relatively unchanged, it said.
Weather forecast: Rain, thunder showers over 8 divisions, BMD says
Dhaka’s air quality 5th worst in the world this morning
Dhaka's air quality was categorised as “very unhealthy" this morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 166 at 9:37 am, Dhaka ranked fifth on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.
Dhaka air unhealthy for sensitive groups this morning
Thailand’s Chiang Mai, Nepal’s Kathmandu, China’s Beijing and Myanmar’s Yangon occupied the first four spots on the list, with AQI scores of 210, 183, 171 and 166, respectively.
An AQI between 150 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
Dhaka air seventh most polluted this morning
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Dhaka air world’s worst on Friday morning
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.
Govt wants to convert country's waste into resources: Saber Hossain
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Saber Hossain Chowdhury said that the government is working to convert the country's waste into resources.
“A programme to produce fertiliser from waste is being taken. From now on, USAID will collect waste from the slums of Dhaka to help the government,” he said while talking to reporters after a meeting with the delegation of USAID and Dhaka Calling at the secretariat on Thursday.
Saber said around 50,000 metric tons of waste will be produced in various sectors in the country by 2025.
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“In the future, not only in the city, but the waste of all areas will have to be treated. By collecting waste, fertilizer production will begin at both government and private initiatives,” he said adding, “Why should we import quality fertiliser from waste? Fertiliser import will decrease if production of fertiliser from waste starts. This will save us a lot of foreign exchange.”
The formulation of the National Waste Management Framework was given priority in the 100 working days program of the Ministry of Environment, he said.
“We are working on solid waste initially. Human waste, tannery waste, e-waste, medical waste will also be managed gradually. Initiatives will also be taken to recycle single use plastic. Considering the future needs, plan for waste management will be rtaken by identifying the site and acquiring the land,” he added.
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Expressing concern about the waste management of Savar tannery, the minister said that the chromium found in the waste is risky for human body and the ministry wants to resolve the matter through discussion with the Industries Ministry.
Dhaka air unhealthy for sensitive groups this morning
Dhaka's air quality was categorised as “unhealthy for sensitive groups” this morning.
With an air quality index (AQI) score of 142 at 8:31 am, Dhaka ranked 10th on the list of cities worldwide with the worst air quality.
Dhaka’s air quality 2nd worst in the world today
India's Delhi, Thailand’s Chiang Mai, Nepal’s Kathmandu and Myanmar’s Yangon occupied the first four spots on the list, with AQI scores of 213, 168, 164 and 161, respectively.
An AQI between 150 and 200 is considered 'unhealthy', AQI between 201 and 300 is said to be 'very unhealthy', while a reading of 301+ is considered 'hazardous', posing serious health risks to residents.
Dhaka’s air quality 5th worst in the world this morning
In Bangladesh, the AQI is based on five criteria pollutants -- Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5), NO2, CO, SO2 and Ozone.
Dhaka has long been grappling with air pollution issues. Its air quality usually turns unhealthy in winter and improves during the monsoon.
Dhaka’s air quality 4th worst in the world this morning
Air pollution consistently ranks among the top risk factors for death and disability worldwide.
As per the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year, largely as a result of increased mortality from stroke, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections.