Bangladesh sees highest rainfall for 35 years recorded in April

Bangladesh has experienced the highest rainfall in April in 35 years, according to the Met office statistics.

In first three weeks of the month, nearly 8,904 mm of rain has been recorded against the April average of 4,053 mm.

“Some 10,000 mm of rainfall was recorded in April in 1981,” an official in weather office said. “We have recorded nearly 9,000 mm of rain in first three weeks of the month.”

“This year the rain started even before the Boishakh. We experience nor’wester in this season but not much rain. This kind of rain we usually see in monsoon,” said the meteorologist.

The weather experts are calling it ‘climate variability’. Trough of low lying over West Bengal and adjoining area, which extends to North Bay, and an existing steep pressure gradient over North Bay are responsible for the current rainfall.

“Even if there is heavy rain, it is around 47 to 76 percent higher than the average, but this year it is 119.7 percent higher than the average April rainfall,” the weatherman said.

The highest April rainfall recorded in different parts of Bangladesh are as follows: on April 2- 71mm in Sylhet, on April 3 - 81mm in Sylhet, April 4 - 58mm in Chittagong, April 5- 122mm in Srimangal, April 7- 62mm in Sylhet, April 8 - 21mm in Netrokona, April 15 - 36mm in Dinajpur, April 18 - 33mm in Tetulia, April 19 - 114mm in Madaripu, April 20 - 194mm in Srimangal, April 21 - 97mm in Dinajpur, April 22- 98mm in Maijdee and April 23 - 118mm in Rangamati.

“The rainfall so far this month is 119.7 percent higher than the average of the month,” meteorologist Ruhul Kuddus told bdnews24.com.

“This is unusual, I must say,” he added.

In 1981, the rainfall was 168 percent higher than the average, he added.

Former director of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department Samarendra Karmaker told bdnews24.com that this kind of change in weather pattern could be experienced in every 20 to 30 years.

Mohan Kumar Das, a fellow at the Institute of Water and Flood Management, said their record showed some Haor areas were flooded in the year 2000, 2002, 2004, 2010 and 2016.

Water Resources Minister Anisul Islam Mahmud quoting 20 years of statistics has said flooding in the Haor areas is unprecedented.