Monsoon to intensify as heavy rainfall expected over country

The monsoon season in Bangladesh is expected to intensify further, with a low-pressure area forming over the coastal regions in the coming days, according to the latest weather bulletin from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) on Friday (13 September).

This development is likely to bring heavy rainfall across many parts of the country.

Due to the anticipated heavy rainfall, water levels in the rivers of the Chattogram Division may rise rapidly over the next two days, potentially resulting in the flooding of low-lying areas in eight districts, including Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, and Feni.

This warning was issued by the Bangladesh Water Development Board's Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre today.

The centre warned that due to the forecasted heavy rainfall in Bangladesh and upstream areas over the next two days, water levels in these rivers might rise rapidly, potentially causing flooding in low-lying areas of Chattogram, Cox's Bazar, Bandarban, Khagrachhari, Feni, Cumilla, Noakhali, and Lakshmipur districts.

However, water levels in the rivers of the Barishal and Khulna divisions are reported to remain stable.

The notification highlighted that while water levels in major rivers are currently below the danger level, those of the Halda, Sangu, and Matamuhuri rivers are rising, whereas the levels of the Muhuri, Feni, and Gomti rivers are decreasing.

Monsoon activity remains active over Bangladesh with the monsoon trough currently running through Punjab, Haryana, and the centre of the land depression in Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, Assam, and the southern part of Bangladesh, according to the BMD bulletin.

The bulletin also mentioned that while day and night temperatures are expected to decrease slightly, a mild heat wave continues to affect several districts. However, this heat wave is expected to subside in some places.

Meteorologist Mustafa Kamal Palash explained that the low-pressure system formed in the Bay of Bengal has become very strong from midnight on Thursday to noon on Friday, expanding to a size comparable to the entire North Bay of Bengal, approximately 700 to 800 kilometres.

He said, "Due to the low pressure formed in the Bay of Bengal, there is a strong possibility of rain in all districts on Friday and Saturday. There is a possibility that the low pressure will gain more strength and turn into a deep depression by 6am on Saturday."

He also mentioned that moderate to heavy rainfall with thunderstorms is likely over the next two days in various districts of Chattogram, Barishal, Khulna, and Dhaka divisions, while light to moderate rainfall is expected in other divisional districts during the same period.