The ministry of primary education has announced the closure of all primary schools across the country until Thursday from when rains are forecast to significantly ease heat-related stresses in majority of the districts.

In a separate statement on Monday, the education ministry extended closure of secondary schools, colleges, madrasas and vocational institutions by one day to Tuesday in 27 districts including Dhaka, Khulna and Rajshahi as an extreme heat wave continues to scorch most parts of the country.

However, due to the potential harmful impact of the severe heat, the High Court on Monday ordered shut all kinds of pre-university educational institutions until Thursday.

Much-awaited rain would drench most of country including Dhaka district in the first week of May, but from the second or third week, temperatures could hit historic high, according to the weather office.

Extreme heat wave continued in most parts of the country on Monday with Chuadanga recording its highest temperature in a decade at 43-degree Celsius.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) also forecast rain in Chattogram and Sylhet divisions in the three days starting Monday 9am.

Rain areas are most likely to expand significantly from Thursday bringing down temperature in parts of country including Dhaka, the BMD said further on Monday.

“Rains and thundershowers are expected in Chattogram, Sylhet, Mymensingh divisions and some other parts of the country including Dhaka division from 2 May (Thursday),” Dr Abul Kalam Mollik, a meteorologist of BMD, told reporters on Monday.

However, on Saturday, the weather office issued a rather concerning forecast.

Rains are expected only in the first week and at most in the second week of May. Afterwards, temperatures would again shoot up dramatically and even hit all-time record, thanks to climate change.

"Our mathematical model analysis suggests despite some expected rainfall in parts of the country in the first week of the coming month, the country may witness the all-time record temperature in May," meteorologist Kazi Zebunnesa told BSS.

On Saturday, visibly for the first time the country’s state-backed meteorologists acknowledged that the climate change phenomenon caused the erratic weather pattern with gradually expanding areas of heatwave, joining the voice with the climate experts and activists.

They said the heatwave also affected most parts of South Asia and partly East Asia with countries like India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Thailand the Philippines and Vietnam.