Heavy rain drenches Dhaka, other areas

The capital Dhaka and other areas across the country witnessed downpour on Monday afternoon, disrupting normal life and routine activities.
Commuters like office-returnees and working-class people, including rickshaw-pullers and students in parts of Dhanmondi, Rampura, Badda, Mirpur, Adabor, Rayerbazar and the old part of Dhaka suffered amid torrential rain.
People, especially in the old part of the capital suffered immensely due to temporary waterlogging.
Sufferers said Monday's shower also caused congestion in those places with a thin presence of vehicles. Some faced trouble finding vehicles amid heavy shower.
Nazmus Sakib Rafsan, a private job-holder, said it took him more than one and half hours at noon to reach his Purana Paltan office from Rampura amid rain-caused congestion.
"It usually takes 15 minutes to reach my office," he told the FE.
Mohammda Umar Faruk, a meteorologist at Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), said about 18-millimetre rainfall recorded in Dhaka on Monday.
Light-to-moderate rain/thundershower accompanied by temporary gusty winds is likely to occur in many places over Rajshahi, Rangpur, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions in the next few days, he told the FE.
Moderately heavy-to-heavy rain may fall in places over Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions during the period, he added.
FLOOD SITUATION
The flood situation may worsen in the next 24-hour period as water levels of most of the major rivers are rising, according to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC).
The FFWC 24-hour bulletin said the Brahmaputra is showing an uptrend and the Jamuna in a steady state which may continue in the next 24 hours.
The water levels of the Ganges-Padma rivers are rising, which may also continue in the next 24 hours.
The bulletin predicted that water levels of all major rivers in the country's north-eastern region are rising and this trend may continue in the next 24 hours.
Citing information from different Met agencies, it said medium-to-heavy rain may fall in some places in the north-east and the adjoining upstream part of India during the period.
As a result, the major rivers of Sylhet, Sunamganj and Netrakona districts in the north-eastern region may rise rapidly during this period.
However, no rivers are flowing above the danger level in the country currently, according to the bulletin.

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