Strong nor'wester likely on 30 March-1 April, casualties feared

A strong nor'wester coupled with thunderstorms, hailstorms, and monsoon rains is likely to pass over Bangladesh and West Bengal of India between 30 March and 1 April, Mostofa Kamal Polash, a meteorology and climate researcher at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, forecasts.

"There is cent percent probability of frequent lightning strikes, hailstorms, and thunderstorms over the entire Bangladesh on 31 March. After being hit by the storms, many people are likely to die due to lightning strikes over Bangladesh on this day," he wrote on his Facebook page on Tuesday.

There is a possibility of rainfall in all the districts during the days, while the intensity of nor'wester can be the highest in Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Sylhet and Rangpur divisions, he added.

Palash said many districts in the western part of Bangladesh are still prone to tornadoes on this day although the number of tornadoes in the country has decreased significantly in the last decade.

He said the storm is more likely to enter Bangladesh through the borders of Khulna and Rajshahi divisions from West Bengal. The intensity of nor'wester storms can be the highest in Chuadanga, Meherpur, Kushtia, Magura, Rajbari, Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Natore, Sirajganj, Pabna, Manikganj, Tangail, Faridpur, Madaripur, Shariatpur, and Munshiganj.

Strong nor'wester, heavy hailstorms, and thundershowers are likely to occur over Rajshahi, Khulna, Barishal, Dhaka, Chattogram, Mymensingh, and Sylhet divisions on 30 March and 1 April. Districts of Khulna, Barishal, and Chattogram divisions are most likely to experience a storm on 1 April, he added.

On 8 March, Mustafa Kamal Palash predicted that there would be a monsoon storm in the country from 15 to 21 March, which came true.

Abdul Hamid Miah, meteorologist of Bangladesh Meteorological Department, told The Business Standard, "Nor'wester is likely to hit many places of the country, the intensity of the storm can be highest in the country's north-western region. But we usually issue warning messages 24 hours before – and till now no warning message has been issued in this regard."

The Indian Meteorological Department has already issued a warning in this regard, saying a fresh spell of Rainfall/thunderstorm likely over Northeast India between 30 March and 1 April.

According to weather observed during 24 hours ending at 08:30am today: a cyclonic circulation over Afghanistan with a trough aloft roughly along long. And other cyclones lie over southwest Rajasthan in lower tropospheric levels, it reports.

Scattered to fairly widespread light/moderate rainfall activity with thunderstorms and lightning/gusty winds very likely to continue over Northeast India during 29 March-2 April. Isolated heavy rainfall is also likely over Assam and Meghalaya and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura from 31 March-2 April; over Arunachal Pradesh on 1 and 2 April.

Scattered to fairly widespread rainfall/thunderstorm activity very likely over Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal and Sikkim during 30 March-1 April. Isolated hailstorms are likely over the region on 31 March.

The Bangladesh Rice Research Institute on its Facebook page has posted several suggestions to boro farmers, regarding the prevention of insects during and after nor'wester coupled with thunderstorms and rains.

Egg piles of maggots should be destroyed. Light traps should be used to avoid brown locust damage. If there is a possibility of insect growth, the accumulated water should be removed.