‘Very heavy’ rain expected in three divisions over next 72 hours

A 72-hour spell of heavy to very heavy rain is expected in the Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Sylhet divisions of northeastern Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) issued this forecast in a special weather bulletin on Sunday.

It said the showers, triggered by persistent cloud activity, are expected between 6pm on Sunday and the following 72 hours.

“Most areas in these divisions may see intense rainfall during the period,” meteorologist Shahnaz Sultana told bdnews24.com, adding that the trend may ease afterwards.

According to BMD classifications, rainfall between 1–10mm in 24 hours is considered light, 11–22mm is moderate, 23–43mm is moderate-heavy, 44–88mm is heavy, and anything beyond 88mm qualifies as very heavy rain.

In its regular morning bulletin, the Met Office said parts of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions may see rain or thundershowers accompanied by gusty winds over the next 24 hours.

Similar conditions may prevail at few places in Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions

Some areas in Rangpur, Mymensingh and Sylhet may also witness moderately heavy to heavy rain.

Daytime temperatures may dip slightly nationwide, with nighttime readings remaining steady.

The mild heatwave currently affecting Bandarban and parts of Khulna is likely to weaken.

In the last 24 hours, the highest recorded temperature in the country was 36.8°C in Jashore while the lowest was 21°C in Sylhet.

"Rangamati logged the highest rainfall during this period with 121mm.

Sylhet followed with 94mm, Kutubdia 75mm, Cox’s Bazar 73mm, and Gopalganj, Kumarkhali, and Koyra each registered 61mm.