If you come from a temperate climate you might be surprised to discover that despite the fact peak temperature varies between 20°C and 40°C, Bangladeshis recognise no fewer than six seasons over their landscape. Mostly these can be grouped into three smaller seasons. In the winter months of late October to February, conditions are comfortable and dry, with temperatures staying somewhere between 15°C and 25°C, except in December and January, when cold spells grip the land and impenetrable fogs linger well into the morning. From March to May, the heat and humidity build to a point where nearly everything is sweating and hot, and temperatures climb sometimes upwards to a stifling 40°C. Finally, everyone breathes a sigh of relief when the rain bladder breaks and the monsoonal rains reduce temperatures to a more tolerable level through the months of June to September. Each season has a brief transitional period, giving rise to the reason Bangladeshis name six seasons.

BBC World Service’s Bangladesh Boat Diary has gone online and live as of October 29.

For the next month, 48 people—scientists, BBC journalists and others—have crammed onto the M.V. Aboshar, a vessel of Guide Tours, to write, photograph and broadcast news from the riverways of Bangladesh.

Their chosen theme is climate change, in which Bangladesh is a focal point because of its unique geographical position in the world. The country is mostly housed within the delta of two major rivers: the Ganges and the Brahmaputra. During the monsoonal rains, a torrent of water comes down from the Himalayas via these rivers, flooding most of the surrounding areas along the way. But that’s not the only reason for the flooding.

Because Bangladesh is also a scant few meters above sea level, it is also particularly vulnerable to tidal surges from the Bay of Bengal. When the tide pushes back against river water coming from the mountains, the water does not drain out from the country with the same efficiency. It is this effect that will become particularly poignant in a climate change scenario—Bangladesh faces a future of flooding when its massive rivers cannot drain out properly because of rising sea levels. Because the tiny nation is almost one of the most densely populated, millions of people will be affected.

The Bangladesh boat diary will be the internet’s version of the journey; users will be able to track the boat’s progress live via the world service website and see the boat’s exact location via an embedded GoogleMap.