The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

At least one cyclonic storm may brew off one to two depressions forming in the Bay of Bengal this month, the met office said yesterday in its a long-range forecast for May.

The forecast issued after a meeting of experts at the met office said the northern and central regions of the country may experience five to six moderate to severe nor'westers or thunderstorms. Elsewhere four to five mild to moderate nor'westers and thunderstorms are likely.

The cyclone in the Bay, if formed would be named Abe, a Sri Lankan word from a panel of code names for the Bay of Bengal cyclones as listed by the ESCAP for this year, a senior meteorologist and cyclone expert Sujit Kumar Dev Sharma told BSS.

The forecast further said two to three moderate to severe heat waves (38-42 degree Celsius) may rage over the northern and central regions, elsewhere may experience mild to moderate heat waves (36- 40 C), the monthly weather forecast said.

This month's rainfall is likely to be 10 to 20 per cent in excess of normal average rainfall. But the rainfall in April was 78 per cent less than the normal precipitations.

Although the forecast for April had said the rainfall would be 10 per cent higher than average in the absence of mating of westerly and easterly pressures over Bangladesh.