Dhaka records 71mm rainfall in just 3 hours Monday morning

Dhaka experienced 71 millimetres of rainfall in just three hours this morning. The rain had actually begun on Sunday night, but its intensity increased early today, Monday leaving many parts of the city waterlogged.

Office commuters suffered heavily due to the flooding. Not just in Dhaka, rainfall was recorded across different regions of the country as well. Meanwhile, a depression has formed over the Bay of Bengal, with another likely to develop by Wednesday.

Meteorologist Md Hafizur Rahman of the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) told Prothom Alo that the rainfall was caused by the monsoon winds. Dhaka recorded 71mm of rainfall from 6:00 am to 9:00 am today and 105mm in nine-hours from 12:00 am to 9:00 am.

In the past 24 hours, the highest rainfall in the country was recorded in Feni, at 116mm. According to meteorological standards, 44 to 88mm of rain is considered heavy, while anything above that qualifies as very heavy rainfall.

Today’s downpour left many areas of the capital inundated. Office-goers faced great difficulty as streets in Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, Kalabagan, Karwan Bazar, Green Road, Manipuripara, New Market, Asad Gate, Jigatola and other parts of the city were submerged. In some places, water reached knee level, while in others it rose to the waist.

Even around 10:30 am, water was still stagnant on roads in the New Market area. Shipon Ahmed, an employee at a private organisation, said he had to wade through waist-deep water in Fakirapool, Kakrail, Malibagh, Rajarbagh and Motijheel on his way to work.

Meteorologist Hafizur Rahman said that more heavy rainfall is unlikely in Dhaka later today. However, a depression created over the northern Bay today is expected to bring heavy showers particularly in the Khulna region. Another depression may form from Wednesday, though it is not likely to have a major impact on Bangladesh’s coast.