Dhaka records 49mm rain in 9 hours, what triggered the sudden downpour - Prothom Alo English
Water accumulates on the road at Mouchak intersection shortly before 8am on 20 September.Fatema Tuz ZohraThe weather situation has completely reversed within a single day. Rain lashed various parts of the country, including Dhaka on Sunday.
The Meteorological Department recorded 49 mm of rainfall in Dhaka over the last nine hours alone.
Yet, just yesterday a heatwave swept across 12 districts in the country. While there was no official heatwave in Dhaka yesterday, the heat was intense. The Meteorological Department had indeed forecast light rain in several areas including Dhaka yesterday but it had not indicated that there would be this much rainfall.
A student wades through water on the road in front of Century Market in Moghbazar, Dhaka, at 8am. 20 September, 2026.Fatema Tuz ZohraMeteorologists at the department now say that the monsoon, which had been somewhat inactive, suddenly became active. This is the primary reason behind this rainfall.
Waterlogging was also seen on various streets across Dhaka due to the rain.
However, such rainfall is not occurring across the country. According to the Meteorological Department, 49mm of rain was recorded in the capital alone between midnight yesterday and 9:00am today. Over the last 24 hours, the highest rainfall was recorded in Narayanganj, at 82mm.
According to the weather forecast issued yesterday evening, today's temperatures were expected to remain similar to yesterday's.
Water accumulates on the road at Mouchak intersection shortly before 8am. 20 September, 2026.Fatema Tuz ZohraOn the other hand, Meteorological Department meteorologist Mohammad Tariful Newaz Kabir had mentioned a forecast of rain in Dhaka last night. However, it was not clear from the forecast that the rain would continue until this morning.
Why this sudden rain? In response, Mohammad Shahinul Islam, the officer in charge at the Meteorological Department, told Prothom Alo this morning that the main reason was the sudden activation of the monsoon. He said rain had also been forecast for some areas, covering around 50 per cent of the country, but the actual coverage had reached nearly 70 per cent in many places.
Rain fell in various coastal areas, except in the Chattogram division. The effect of that rain reached the capital as well. Rain may now occur in the Rajshahi and Rangpur regions too.
Shahinul Islam said there may be intermittent rain in the capital for some more time today. However, there may be no rain tomorrow, Monday, he said.
Meanwhile, a low-pressure area has already formed over the sea. The Meteorological Department says it could develop into a deep depression or even a cyclone off the coast of Odisha or Andhra Pradesh in India towards the end of this week. Bangladesh could also experience rain under its influence.
