Heavy rain likely for another 3–4 days, landslide risk in hilly areas

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department has warned that heavy rainfall across the country is expected to continue for another three to four days due to an active low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal and seasonal monsoon winds.

Hilly areas are at risk of landslides, and sea ports have been advised to fly Signal No. 3 alerts.

According to the department’s advisory on Wednesday morning, from 9 am today and over the next 72 hours, heavy (44–88 mm) to very heavy (above 88 mm) rainfall may occur at various locations across Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions.

The alert also highlights that landslides may occur in hilly areas of Chattogram, while parts of Dhaka and Chattogram cities could experience temporary waterlogging due to heavy rain.

A low-pressure system formed over the west-central Bay of Bengal yesterday at 6 pm and intensified into a well-marked low-pressure area by 6 am Wednesday, remaining in the same region.

Meteorologists report that the system is moving northwest and could further strengthen into a depression over the northwest Bay of Bengal. Its northern extension spans eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, northern Bangladesh, and Assam. The seasonal monsoon remains active over Bangladesh, with particularly strong winds over the northern Bay of Bengal.

Weather experts predict that heavy rainfall may continue in all divisions until Saturday, 4 October, after which the intensity is expected to decrease.

Dr. Abul Kalam Mallick, a meteorologist at the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, told the press that clouds driven from the sea by the low-pressure system are bringing rainfall through the coastal areas into central Bangladesh.

Dhaka, for example, received 206 mm of rain in the past 24 hours. If the system develops into a depression, rain may persist for several more days, although it will bring relief from the humid heat.

The department also forecasts a drop in daytime temperatures by 2–3°C and a slight decrease in night temperatures on Wednesday. This morning, the lowest temperature recorded in the country was 23.5°C in Tangail.