Heavy rain triggers waterlogging, traffic chaos in city

Heavy rain and thunderstorms disrupted life in the capital and other parts of the country on Saturday, causing severe waterlogging, traffic jams, and widespread inconvenience for residents.

A sudden, intense afternoon downpour left knee-deep water in major neighbourhoods, including Mirpur, Dhanmondi, Rampura, and parts of Old Dhaka, bringing traffic to a standstill and leaving commuters stranded for hours in flooded streets.

Cars, buses, and rickshaws struggled to navigate the waterlogged roads, with many engines breaking down and worsening the congestion. Office-goers faced severe delays, with some journeys taking five hours instead of the usual 20 minutes.

Soaked commuters, unable to find transport, were forced to wade through waist-high, dirty water. "The rain always comes at the worst time," lamented a rickshaw puller, drenched and without passengers.

Day labourers and street vendors were among the hardest hit, losing a day's income as stalls remained closed. Construction work also came to a halt. The downpour exposed Dhaka's chronic waterlogging problem once again.

Beyond Dhaka, heavy rainfall was reported in Tangail, Chapainawabganj, Satkhira, and Sirajganj, causing similar disruptions.

According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), the current spell of rain, which began on Thursday, is due to local convection and lingering cloud systems from Cyclone Montha, which made landfall in India's Andhra Pradesh earlier this week.

Although the cyclone has dissipated, its residual effects continue to influence weather over northern Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal, and Bangladesh.

In the past 24 hours, Tetulia recorded the highest rainfall at 162 mm, followed by 120 mm in Tarash, Sirajganj, and 86 mm in Badalgachhi, Naogaon.

Meteorologists warn that light to moderate rain may continue intermittently until Sunday morning across Dhaka, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Mymensingh, and Sylhet, with some northern areas experiencing heavy to very heavy rain.

The sky is expected to gradually clear from Monday, though another wet spell is forecast around November 5.

The BMD has urged residents to remain alert, especially due to the risk of lightning common during thunderstorms. Maritime ports have been instructed to lower warning signals as coastal conditions ease. Meamwhile, a low pressure area is likely to form over eastcentral Bay and adjoining area during next 48 hours, commencing 9 am on Saturday, according to BMD.

The well-marked low over south Chhattisgarh and adjoining area moved northnortheastwards, weakened into a Low and now lies over West Bengal and adjoining area.

It is likely to move northnortheastwards further and weaken gradually.

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