Dhaka experienced heavy downpours starting late Sunday night that continued into Monday morning, accompanied by thunder and lightning.
The persistent rainfall left many streets waterlogged, disrupting public transport and causing severe hardship for commuters heading to work early in the day.
By 7:30 am Monday, large sections of Dhanmondi, Asad Gate, Kalabagan, Mohammadpur, Mirpur 10, Mirpur Shewrapara, New Market and Moghbazar were inundated.
In some areas, the water reached knee level, while in others, such as Asad Gate, Moghbazar and Shewrapara, it rose to waist level.
According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), the capital recorded 34 millimetres of rain between midnight and 6 am.
In its advisory, the BMD stated that the monsoon trough currently stretches from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar across West Bengal and southern Bangladesh to Assam, with an extension reaching the North Bay of Bengal.
The monsoon is moderately active over Bangladesh and the North Bay. A low-pressure area is expected to form over the North Bay within 24 hours, and another system may develop over the east-central Bay and adjoining northern Bay on September 24, with potential for intensification.
The unexpected downpour severely disrupted vehicular movement, particularly public transport, leaving many unable to reach their destinations on time. Increased waterlogging on major routes also pushed up rickshaw fares and limited alternative means of travel.
According to the BMD’s Sunday evening forecast, many areas of Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions and parts of Rangpur, Rajshahi and Mymensingh divisions may see light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by gusty winds. Moderate to heavy rain may occur at isolated places in Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram and Sylhet divisions.
Daytime temperatures are expected to drop slightly while night temperatures are likely to remain almost unchanged nationwide.
The rainfall followed several days of extreme heat across the country. After a hazy sky over the weekend, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department had already forecast increased rainfall from Monday onwards.
