Heat scorches Khulna, Dhaka drenched in rain

Heavy rain and thunderstorms have brought respite to several parts of the country including capital Dhaka that had been seething in the grilling heat, even as the ongoing dry spell continued to sweep through the Khulna division.

Weather forecast predicts rain and thunderstorms to continue in these areas until Saturday.

Thunderbolts killed as many as 33 people in 12 districts on Thursday. By Friday evening another nine added to the death toll, taking the total figure to over 40.

The Meteorological Office has confirmed a 24mm rainfall in the last 24 hours in Dhaka. Tangail reported the highest rainfall of 53mm.

Rainfall has also been recorded in Mymensingh, Faridpur, Chittagong, Sandwip, Comilla, Feni, Rajshahi, Ishwardi, Bodlagachhi, Tarash, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Sayedpur, Rajhat, Khepuparha and Bhola.

But rain continued to elude 10 districts of Khulna division for the last 7-8 days. Though rain clouds gathered over the city on Friday, only a few minutes of drizzle hardly brought any respite from the heat wave.

Capital Dhaka however received 17mm rain on Thursday and again another 27mm between 12 noon and 3PM on Friday.

On Friday a Met official told bdnews24.com that rain and thunderstorms were expected in Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dhaka, Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong, and in parts of Sylhet. He also predicted a mild heat wave to sweep across Modipur and Patuakhali and Khulna division.

“There may be a 2-3 degrees Celsius rise in daytime temperature while the night temperature may drop slightly”, he said.

On Friday the maximum temperature of 38.6 degree Celsius was recorded in Jessore. At the same time the temperature in Dhaka was recorded 33.1 degree Celsius.

The forecast for May had predicted a heat wave to sweep through the country. Meteorological Department Deputy Director Mahnaj Khan said that the north, north east and central parts of the country could experience nor’wester accompanied by thunders for the next 2-3 days.

Former Director of the now defunct SAARC Weather Research Centre Sujit Kumar Debsharma said that thunderstorms were common phenomena in this season of the nor’wester. Generally thunderstorms occur between March and May and may also occur in October-November.

He said that every year about 300 people die in Bangladesh due to the thunderstorms.

He said that when cumulonimbus clouds form, thunderstorms occur.