Heavy rainfall was recorded in Dhaka and nearby areas on Wednesday, and more rain accompanied by thunderstorms is expected today, Thursday, April 17, according to the Meteorological Department. The Bangladesh Weather Observation Team (BWOT) has also forecasted thunderstorm activity in the capital within the next hour.

At around 10:30 AM, BWOT reported cloud formations near Kishoreganj, Manikganj, and Gazipur moving towards Dhaka and the greater Dhaka and Mymensingh divisions. Areas likely to be most affected include Tangail, Gazipur, Narsingdi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Kishoreganj, Manikganj, Munshiganj, and Narayanganj. Thunderstorms have already struck parts of Rajshahi division, and if the weather system remains strong, rainfall could extend to northern Chattogram regions like Brahmanbaria and Cumilla within a few hours. Updated weather models suggest Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, and Sylhet divisions may see the most impact.

Meanwhile, meteorologist Mostofa Kamal Polash, a PhD researcher at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, warned that there is a nearly 99.99% chance of moderate to heavy rainfall with intense lightning in Dhaka by 1 PM. He added via a Facebook post that all districts under Dhaka and Khulna divisions, and northern Chattogram, are at high risk of rainfall. Barishal and southern Chattogram may also experience rain, though the likelihood is moderate, with expected timings between 2 PM and 10 PM.

The official weather bulletin issued at 7 AM by the Meteorological Department forecasts partly cloudy skies with chances of temporary showers or thunderstorms in Dhaka and surrounding areas. Temperatures may slightly drop, with southwesterly winds reaching speeds of 25-35 km/h.

Additionally, river port warnings have been issued until 1 PM for regions including Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Bogura, Pabna, Dhaka, Tangail, Mymensingh, Sylhet, Cumilla, Chattogram, and Cox’s Bazar. Temporary squalls of 45-60 km/h from the west or northwest, along with thunderstorms, are likely, prompting a Level 1 cautionary signal for these ports.