Heavy monsoon rain may cause short-term flooding in parts of the country's north, north-east and south-east this August, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department has said.

One or two low-pressure areas may form in the Bay of Bengal this month, one of which may intensify into a monsoon depression, the department said. Temperatures this month may also be above normal.

The forecast was made by the department's expert committee on long-range forecasting, which held its regular meeting at the Storm Warning Centre in Dhaka on Sunday, 2 August, chaired by director Md Momenul Islam.

The long-range forecast report says rainfall in August may be normal, with thunderstorms likely on five to six days in different parts of the country.

It adds that one or two monsoon lows may form in the Bay of Bengal, one of which may become a monsoon depression.

Day and night temperatures this month may be above normal. One or two isolated mild (36 to 37.9 degrees Celsius) to moderate (38 to 39.9 degrees Celsius) heatwaves may also sweep over different regions.

On rivers, the forecast says water levels of the country's major rivers may rise overall in August. Heavy monsoon rain may cause short-term floods in parts of the north, north-east and south-east.

In its review of July's weather, the department said rainfall across the country was 35.6 per cent above normal. Rainfall was normal in Mymensingh division but above normal in all other divisions.

Three monsoon lows formed in the Bay of Bengal in July, two of which became monsoon depressions. The active monsoon, lows and depressions brought heavy to very heavy rain and gusty, stormy winds with thunder to different parts of the country throughout the month.

The highest temperature in July was 37.6 degrees Celsius, recorded in Rangpur on 4 July, and the lowest was 22 degrees Celsius, recorded in Sylhet on 21 and 22 July. The department said the country's maximum, minimum and average temperatures for the month were normal.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.