Rain brings relief to Dhaka after days of scorching Baishakh heat

The downpour catches pedestrians, pavement vendors and hawkers off guard

Rain has brought relief to Dhaka after several days of searing heat in the Bengali month of Baishakh.

Clouds began gathering over the capital on Sunday afternoon, before rain started before dusk, accompanied by lightning and thunder.

The downpour caught pedestrians, pavement vendors and hawkers off guard. Some packed up their stalls, while people on the roads took shelter under shop fronts and multi-storey buildings.

Meteorologist Kazi Jebunnesa told bdnews24.com on Sunday night that Dhaka had recorded 32mm of rain over the past few hours.

“However, there is little chance of significant rain later tonight,” she said.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department had earlier issued a nor’wester warning, saying squalls could affect Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka and Sylhet divisions in the 48 hours from Sunday noon.

In a separate warning, the Met Office said heavy to very heavy rain could occur in Rangpur, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions in the 96 hours from 9am on Sunday, with temporary waterlogging possible in some areas.

In the 24 hours to 6pm on Sunday, the country’s highest temperature was recorded in Rangamati at 37°C. The lowest temperature, 20°C, was recorded in Dinajpur and Srimangal in Sylhet.