The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecast widespread rain and thundershowers across the country, including the capital, over the next five days.
According to meteorologist Muhammad Abul Kalam Mallik, a well-marked low-pressure area situated over India’s Madhya Pradesh and its adjoining areas, combined with the active monsoon, is likely to trigger heavy to very heavy rainfall in various regions.
In Dhaka, the rainfall is expected to provide relief to residents after several days of sweltering heat. The capital is likely to experience cloudy skies, gusty winds, and light to moderate rain or thundershowers on Wednesday, which may lead to a drop in day temperatures by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius.
The BMD’s forecast for Wednesday afternoon indicated that Dhaka’s sky would remain cloudy to overcast, with winds blowing from the south or south-east at speeds of 10 to 15 kilometres per hour.
At 12pm the capital’s temperature was recorded at 29 degrees Celsius, with a relative humidity of 92 per cent. The city had already recorded 8 mm of rain in the six hours leading up to noon.
The weather office predicted that most places in the Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions will see light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty winds on Wednesday and Thursday. Heavy to very heavy falls are also expected at different places across the country.
The rainy trend is set to persist through Friday, with moderately heavy to very heavy rain specifically forecast for the Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions.
Although rain will continue into Saturday and Sunday, the intensity is expected to decrease towards the end of the five-day period, allowing day temperatures to rise slightly.
Considering an increased pressure gradient over the North Bay, maritime ports in Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla, and Payra have been advised to keep Local Cautionary Signal 3 hoisted.
All fishing boats and trawlers in the North Bay have been urged to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution until further notice.
A separate warning issued by the department stated that heavy (44–88 mm) to very heavy (more than 88 mm) rainfall could occur within 24 hours in parts of the Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Sylhet divisions. Such intense downpours may cause temporary waterlogging in Chattogram city and trigger landslides in the hilly areas of the Chattogram division.
Recent observations reflect this trend, with Bandarban recording the country’s highest rainfall of 314 mm in the 24 hours preceding the report. Significant rainfall was also recorded in Rangamati (287 mm) and Chattogram (284 mm).
During this period, the maximum temperature in the country was 33.8 degrees Celsius in Ishwardi, while the minimum was 23.6 degrees Celsius in Bandarban.
