Bangladesh braces for several heatwaves, severe thunderstorms in May

Bangladesh is likely to experience 1-3 heatwaves including
one severe heatwave (40°C-41.9°C) and thunderstorms in the current month.
The Bangladesh Meteorological
Department (BMD) has issued its monthly weather outlook for May, forecasting a
mix of heatwaves, thunderstorms, and generally normal rainfall across the
country.
The outlook was finalised during a
meeting of the Expert Team on Long-Range Weather Forecasting held yesterday (4
May) at the Storm Warning Centre in Dhaka.
The team reviewed April's weather data alongside global and
regional climate indicators before preparing the forecast.
Besides, rainfall is expected to
remain normal nationwide.
However, the country may witness 5 to 8 days of light to moderate thunderstorms
including 2 to 3 days of severe thunderstorms accompanied by hail in some
areas.
Meteorologists also predict the
formation of 1 to 2 low-pressure systems over the Bay of Bengal, with at least
one having the potential to intensify into a depression or cyclone.
Both daytime and nighttime
temperatures are expected to stay within normal ranges throughout May.
Major rivers across the country are
also likely to maintain normal flow levels. However, temporary rises in water
levels may occur in the northern, northeastern, and southeastern regions due to
isolated heavy rainfall.
For the agricultural sector, BMD
forecasts average daily evaporation rates of 3.5 to 5.5 mm and daily sunshine
duration of 5.5 to 7.5 hours, conditions considered generally favorable for
crop growth during this period.
The BMD said the forecast is based
on detailed analysis of weather observations, upper-level weather patterns,
various atmospheric charts, climate models, the SOI (El Niño and La Niña
conditions), and May weather forecasts from WMO-recognized institutes and
Global Producing Centers (GPCs) including ECMWF, JMA, NOAA, IRI-Columbia
University, the APEC Climate Centre (APCC), RIMES, and C3S.
















