Thunderstorms sweep Dhaka and other regions

Thunder accompanied by rain lashed Dhaka and various parts of the country on Monday evening. There were also reports of hail in some places.

The sky over the capital had been partly cloudy since Monday (9 November) morning. Earlier, the Met Office had forecast thunderstorms in Dhaka and five other divisions of the country.

As the day wore on, the cloud cover grew thicker. Rain accompanied by thunder began in different parts of the capital in the evening, and then continued on and off. But it did not rain in every part of Dhaka.

Heavy rain fell intermittently in Notun Bazar, Baridhara, the Bashundhara residential area, Uttara and several parts of Mirpur. In other areas the rainfall was lighter, and in some places there was no rain at all.

In its morning forecast, the Met Office had said rain or thunderstorms could occur in some places in Chattogram division and in one or two places in Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna and Barishal divisions.

Later, around noon, thunderstorms were also forecast for the Dhaka, Cumilla and Noakhali regions. Rain subsequently fell in various parts of those areas.

Thunderstorms with gusts of up to 60 kilometres per hour had also been forecast for Dhaka and two other regions.

Even before the rain, a light chill of winter could be felt in the air in the capital. Many believe the feeling of winter may gradually grow after this rain.

According to meteorologists, while a touch of winter is already being felt in the northern part of the country, wintry weather may arrive in the capital towards the end of November. The use of winter clothing is also likely to increase with time.