The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

The southwestern monsoon retreated finally from Bangladesh on Thursday after a rainy season, marked by excessive rains and floods, Met Office sources said.

The monsoon bade farewell with some rains across the country. The rains came from the bank of deep layers of convective clouds, the legacy of a low pressure and land depression still hanging over the Bay.

The low pressure turning into a land depression was the last of the 13 formed in the Bay of Bengal this season.

The lows mostly provided muscles to the monsoon this year, causing more than higher rainfalls this season.

The parting rains were, however, likely to be cleared by tomorrow to make room for the autumn in its full flare for the season, the sources said.

The monsoon had only one period of shortfall at the height of its peak in August when rains were 25 percent less than normal average after 31 percent excessive rainfall in July, which triggered the seasonal flooding.

The rains were 20 percent higher in September, which lingered the floods.

Until Wednesday this month, the rains were higher than average with a total of 4170 mm precipitaion in the country.

During the 12 hours between 6 AM and 6 pm today, Dhaka received the maximum of the parting gift of the monsoon followed by 37 mm in Mymensingh as the dark clouds sailed towards northeast. But Srimangal received only 12 mm of showers and Sylhet only two mm.

Khulna recorded 21 mm rains and Barisal 10 mm during the period. Elsewhere at many places there were some little rains, including seven mm at Ishwardi and five mm at Rajshahi.

During the past 24 hours ending at 6 AM today, only Cox's Bazar recorded worth mentioning 34 mm rainfall followed by 13 mm at Rajshahi and 12 mm at Sylhet.

The wet weather with some little winds under a canopy of clouds, however, turned the day cool. The highest maximum temperature today was 31.8 degrees Celsius recorded in Chandpur and the lowest minimum temperature was 21.5C at Ishwardi.

Dhaka recorded the maximum temperature of 28.6C and the minimum 25.4C, Rajshahi maximum 30.4C and minimum 21.8C, Khulna maximum 30.6C and minimum 24.6C, Barisal maximum 31.5C and minimum 24.5C and Sylhet maximum 25.9C and minimum 23C.

The met forecast during the next 24 hours beginning at 6 PM today said light to moderate rains or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty/squally winds are likely at a few places over Rajshahi, Dhaka, Sylhet, Chittagong, Barisal and Khulna divisions with moderately heavy falls at places.

The day temperature may rise by 1-2C over the country, the forecast added.

The met outlook for next two days weather said the rainfall activity may decrease. The extended outlook for weather said little change is likely.