A rain belt is approaching Bangladesh and is expected to remain active until 24 March, according to the Bangladesh Weather Observation Team (BWOT). However, the system will not affect all areas uniformly.
BWOT reported that the rain belt will begin influencing the country from the afternoon of Thursday (20 March), continuing until the morning of 24 March.
It is described as a fragmented system, meaning that clear skies may suddenly give way to dark clouds on the western horizon, followed by gusty winds akin to a Nor’wester, a brief spell of rain lasting 5-10 minutes, and then a return to clear weather.
During its activity, approximately 40-50% of the country may experience rainfall, with some isolated areas seeing intense downpours.
On average, affected regions could receive 15-25 mm of rainfall, while in certain pockets, precipitation may reach or even exceed 50 mm.
Additionally, BWOT has warned of potential hailstorms in some parts of the country, particularly in Sylhet and parts of the Khulna division, where the probability of rainfall is highest.
In contrast, Chattogram and northern Bangladesh are expected to receive less precipitation.
The rain belt is predicted to be most active over Kolkata and West Bengal, with its effects spilling over into neighbouring Bangladeshi regions.
