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.