Following a couple of weeks of scorching heat, Dhaka residents along with those living in the central region of the country breathed a sigh of relief with sporadic spells of mild rainfall yesterday.
The southwest monsoon has been moving towards the central parts of Bangladesh and it would take a couple more days to be spread across the country, said Bangladesh Meteorological Department sources, adding that the rainfall in Dhaka was part of this advancement.
“It will take two or three more days for monsoon to arrive in full swing in the central parts of Bangladesh, while it will take five or six more days for the whole country,” said Arif Hossain, a meteorologist working at the Met office.
A mild to moderate heat wave was still sweeping over Rajshahi and Khulna divisions and the regions of Dhaka, Madaripur, Chandpur, Sayedpur, Barisal and Patuakhali, said the official.
The Met Office recorded 13mm of rainfall in Sylhet, 53mm of rain in Cox’s Bazar, 1mm in Sandwip and 1mm of rain in Chittagong yesterday.
The amount of rainfall yesterday in Dhaka city was not tracked by the Met Office; however, locals from different areas said the mild rainfall brought them a much needed respite from the heatwave that have continued for the past few weeks.
The country’s maximum temperature yesterday was recorded at 39.4 degree Celsius in Jessore, while the maximum temperature in Dhaka was 36.0 degree Celsius.
“Trough of low lies over Northwest Bay. Southwest monsoon has advanced up to Chittagong and Sylhet divisions. Monsoon is weak over Northeast Bay,” the Met Office forecast read yesterday.
The weather bulletin also said rain and thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at a few places over Chittagong and Sylhet divisions and at one or two places over Barisal and Dhaka divisions and weather may remain mainly dry with partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country.