Most of Bangladesh braces for heavy to very heavy rain

Nilphamari’s Dimla records the country's highest rainfall at 101mm in a day

Heavy to very heavy rain looks set to sweep most of Bangladesh over the next two days, with only Chattogram Division likely to escape the worst of it.

On Monday, meteorologist Omar Faruk said in a warning that Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal and Sylhet divisions could see heavy to very heavy rain during the 48 hours from 11am.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) classifies 44mm to 88mm of rainfall within 24 hours as heavy rain, while anything above 88mm is considered very heavy rainfall.

The department's morning bulletin said the monsoon trough extends from Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal and northern Bangladesh to Assam, with one extension reaching the north-west Bay of Bengal.

It said the monsoon remains active over the northern region, fairly active elsewhere in the country, and moderate over the north Bay.

In its forecast issued at 9am, the Met Office said most places in Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions, and many places in Khulna Division, may experience temporary gusty winds with light to moderate rain or thundershowers over the next 24 hours.

It also forecast moderate to very heavy rainfall in parts of the country.

According to BMD, Dimla Upazila in Nilphamari recorded the country's highest rainfall at 101mm in the 24 hours until 6am Monday.

Rajshahi logged the day's highest temperature over the same period, at 34.2 degrees Celsius.