Month of Bangla New Year likely to be hit by cyclone, heat waves

April, the month of the Bangla New Year, may see more than usual rainfall and storms, the Met Office has predicted.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 4 April 2016, 08:48 PM
Updated : 4 April 2016, 08:48 PM

It has also forecast heat waves.

Meteorological department Director Samsuddin Ahmed gave these indications about weather conditions in April.

In its forecast for the month, the Met Office has said one to two depressions may form over the Bay of Bengal with one developing into a cyclonic storm.

In addition, the northern and central regions of Bangladesh may experience three to four Nor’westers of medium to severe intensities, while the rest of the country may have four to five such storms of light to medium nature.

About the predicted heat wave, the Met bulletin says the northern and north-western regions will experience a severe heat wave (over 40 degrees Celsius), while the rest of the country will have one or two mild (36 to 38 degree Celsius) or medium (38 to 40 degree Celsius) heat waves.

The flow of rivers will remain normal in the current month but there could be flash floods due to hill runoff.

The weather forecast for the next 24 hours says there will be rain accompanied by squally or stormy winds or thunder in certain parts of Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions and one or two places in the Rangpur division. 

The day and night temperatures were expected to remain unchanged across the country. But the forecast says the chances of rain over the next three days will recede.

A maximum rainfall of 159mm was recorded in Srimanagal in Sylhet.

Dhaka recorded a rainfall of 9mm, Faridpur 8mm, Rajshahi 35mm, Mymensingh 15mm, Maijdicourt 2mm, Sylhet 35mm, and Chuadanga 14mm.

The Met Office foresees medium to heavy showers over the next two or three days.

The highest temperature in the country was recorded at Jessore (33.2 degree Celsius) and the minimum at Rangpur (20.4 degree Celsius).

The country had 45 percent excess rainfall in March, the Met Office has said.

A westerly low coupled with easterly winds caused heavy rain with thunderstorms in the Rangpur and Rajshahi divisions and other places in the third and fourth weeks of March. 

The Sylhet division had normal, Barishal division had less than normal, and other regions more than normal rainfall in March.