A few more days of rain to come before monsoon eases

The Met Office says rainfall is likely to continue in parts of the country until mid-October

As autumn draws to a close, a few final days of rain are likely to precede the retreat of the monsoon winds, yielding to a drier season ahead.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecast that the winds will shift direction and the humidity will begin to drop around mid-October.

Rain has been falling in Dhaka city since Thursday morning, with the department recording 34mm between 6am and 9am.

In a forecast that extends through Oct 12, the BMD said the rainfall is likely to continue in parts of the country until mid-October, when the southwest monsoon winds are expected to begin withdrawing from the west.

“According to us, the monsoon or rainy season is June, July, August and September,” Meteorologist Bazlur Rashid told bdnews24.com on Thursday morning.

“There is always a tendency for rain toward the end of the monsoon. According to our forecast, there will be a few more days of rain before the monsoon winds depart in October.”

He explained that during the rainy season, winds blow from the south, carrying moisture from the ocean and forming clouds that produce rain.

By mid-October, however, winds begin blowing from the north, bringing drier air and lowering humidity. As a result, he said, “rainfall decreases”.

Even so, Rashid noted that rain is still possible during winter under special circumstances.

The department’s forecast on Wednesday evening said light to moderate rain or thundershowers with temporary gusty winds may occur through Thursday evening in parts of the Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions, and at one or two places in the Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions.

Moderate to heavy rain could occur in some areas, while day and night temperatures are expected to remain steady nationwide.

Similar conditions are expected to continue from Thursday evening through Friday evening.

The forecast indicates rain or thundershowers in many of the same areas, with no significant change in day or night temperatures.

From Friday evening through Saturday evening, light to moderate rain or thundershowers with gusty winds may occur across Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions, and in a few places in Rajshahi and Rangpur. Some areas may see heavier rainfall, while temperatures are likely to remain largely unchanged.

The forecast for Saturday evening through Sunday evening sees rain in parts of the Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions, as well as isolated areas in Rajshahi, Rangpur and Mymensingh.

Moderate to heavy rain is possible in some places, with temperatures remaining stable.

From Sunday evening through Monday evening, rain or thundershowers with gusty winds may occur in one or two places in the Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions.

Elsewhere, conditions are likely to remain mostly dry with partly cloudy skies.

Daytime temperatures may rise slightly, though nighttime temperatures are expected to remain steady.

Looking further ahead, the BMD said rainfall is expected to ease over the five days from Monday evening, as the southwest monsoon winds start withdrawing from the country’s western region.