With about two million people still stranded in flood water in four northeastern districts, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department declared on Monday that yet another spell of rain was on its way, potentially deteriorating the flood situation.
The death toll from the ongoing flood that started about a week ago climbed to eight, with a minor drowning in Moulvibazar on Monday and the retrieval of the body of another child washed away three days ago.
鈥楢 wet spell is about to set in on June 26,鈥� said Muhammad Abul Kalam Mallik, predicting rainfall across Bangladesh from the day onward for several days and also in upstream India.
The news of precipitation increasing came amidst major northeast rivers flowing above their danger marks, with their water levels falling rather slowly.
In the 24 hours until 9:00am on Monday, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre said, the Kusiyara River at Sherpur dropped by only one cm.
The highest fall of 12cm in the water level of the Someshwari River was recorded at Kalmakanda over the same period.
Six rivers were flowing above their danger marks on Monday morning. The Kusiyara was flowing 33cm above the danger mark at Amalshid.
The India Meteorological Department predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall to continue in sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh, all upstream of Bangladesh, between June 24 and 28.
Isolated heavy rainfall was also likely in Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur, and Tripura on June 24, 27, and 28.
In the 24 hours until 8:30am on Monday, the IMD recorded 110mm of rainfall in West Bengal, and 90 mm in Assam and Meghalaya.
Bangladesh鈥檚 FFWC recorded 80mm of rainfall in Panchagarh in the 24-hour reporting cycle until 9:00am on Monday, followed by 73mm of rainfall in Zakiganj and 50mm of rainfall in Lalakhal.
The BMD predicted light to moderate rain accompanied by temporary gusty wind at many places in Rangpur, Mymensingh, Sylhet, and Chattogram divisions today and at one or two places in Rajshahi, Dhaka, Khulna, and Barishal divisions.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Sylhet reported that 19,06,947 people were still stranded in the division, with the highest number of 8,03,865 people stranded in the Sylhet district.
Over 33,000 people are still in shelter in flood shelters.
The BMD said that Sylhet received 55mm of rainfall in the 24 hours until 6:00pm on Monday, the highest amount of rainfall recorded in the country.
抖阴精品 correspondent in Moulvibazar reported that people feared the flood situation in Hakaluki, Barlekha, Juri, and Kulaura areas would linger with the onrush of water from upstream.
Khaleq Miah, a resident of Talimpur village, said, 鈥業 have left my four cows, two goats, ducks, and roosters at a relative鈥檚 house in Barlekha鈥檚 Patharia Pahar area. I don鈥檛 know what happened to them.鈥�
Khaleq sought refuge in another relative鈥檚 house.
The Moulvibazar district livestock office said that there were 200 cattle in various flood shelters.
A diving team recovered the body of a child named Azizul Islam, 6, from the Barak River of Moulvibazar Sadar upazila around noon. The boy, son of Muhibur Rahman of Lamua village in Khalilpur union, fell into the river in the morning.
On the other hand, the police recovered the body of a teenager named Limon Sheikh two days after he went missing from the sluice gate area of the Manu River in Moulvibazar Sadar. He had gone missing while taking a bath on June 22.
The heatwave that began on June 23 rapidly spread to cover the entire divisions of Rajshahi and Khulna and the regions of Manikganj, Tangail, Faridpur, Rangpur, Saidpur, and Patuakhali.
Bangladesh鈥檚 highest day air temperature of 38.7C was recorded in Rajshahi.聽
The heatwave is likely to continue today.
The health emergency control room confirmed six deaths until June 23 in the flood. Three of the deaths were recorded in Sylhet, while the rest occurred in Moulvibazar.