Staff Reporter :
A heavy downpour accompanied by a thunderstorm lashed Dhaka early Saturday morning, causing widespread waterlogging and significant disruption to the city’s traffic flow.
The Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) reported 87 millimetres of rain fell between 6:00 AM and 9:00 AM, accompanied by wind gusts reaching 52 kilometres per hour.
According to sources, it is known that BMD categorises rainfall as light (0–10 mm), moderate (11–22 mm), moderately heavy (22–44 mm), heavy (44–88 mm), and very heavy (above 89 mm).
Saturday’s heavy rainfall inundated various areas of Dhaka, including Mirpur, Kalabagan, Mouchak, Rampura, Mogbazar, Badda, Khelkeht, and Farmgate. Residents faced lengthy delays and traffic congestion as major streets transformed into temporary rivers due to the city’s overburdened drainage system.
Many people, including women and students, were forced to wade through ankle-deep water to reach their destinations or workplaces. The disruption extended to educational institutions, some of which remained open despite being on a government holiday to compensate for closures during the recent heatwave.
The morning’s downpour also resulted in a lack of available public transportation, further complicating commutes for office workers and others trying to reach their destinations.
The BMD predicts further rain or thunderstorms with temporary strong winds across several regions, including Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka, and Khulna. Scattered hailstorms are also possible in the Barishal, Chattogram, and Sylhet divisions on Sunday. Day and night temperatures are expected to remain relatively unchanged throughout the country until Monday.
While Dhaka experienced the brunt of the downpour, other parts of the country also received significant rainfall.
Tangail recorded 87 mm, similar to Dhaka, while Gopalganj, Srimangal, Feni, and Bhola received 69 mm, 53 mm, 46 mm, and 73 mm, respectively.
The BMD reported a maximum temperature of 34.7 degrees Celsius in Rajshahi and a minimum temperature of 21 degrees Celsius in Dhaka.