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Although all of the county’s major rivers are currently flowing below their danger levels, water levels in several rivers across the northern, northeastern and southeastern regions are expected to rise rapidly over the next 24 to 72 hours.
The Teesta River may cross the danger level, raising the risk of short-term flooding in parts of 12 districts, according to the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC).
The forecast was issued on Tuesday (July 7) in a rainfall and river situation bulletin signed by Assistant Engineer Mostafa Kamal Jihan of the Bangladesh Water Development Board’s FFWC.
According to the bulletin, as of 9:00am Tuesday, none of the monitored rivers had crossed the danger mark. Of the country’s 127 water-level monitoring stations, water levels increased at 38 stations, decreased at 86, and remained unchanged at three.
Over the past 24 hours, very heavy rainfall was recorded in Chattogram Division, while heavy to very heavy rain fell in Sylhet and Barishal divisions, as well as in the Indian states of Meghalaya and Tripura.
Similar rainfall is forecast over the next four days in Chattogram, Sylhet, Mymensingh and Rangpur divisions, along with adjoining areas of Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal in India.
The FFWC also said the seasonal low-pressure system over Odisha and adjoining southern Jharkhand has weakened into a well-marked low while moving northwestward.
During the past 24 hours, the highest rainfall in Bangladesh was recorded in Chattogram at 258mm. Other notable totals included Narayanhat (165mm), Teknaf (158mm), Cox’s Bazar (129mm), Ramgarh (105mm), Bandarban (102mm), Maheshkhola in Sunamganj (101mm), Panchpukuria in Chattogram (95mm), Lama (93mm), and Parshuram in Feni (76mm).
In India, 153mm of rainfall was recorded in Mawkyrwat, 141mm in Sohra, 133mm in Cherrapunji and 58mm in Sabroom, Tripura. The FFWC said this upstream rainfall could contribute to rising river levels in Bangladesh.
The centre warned that the water levels of the Gomti, Muhuri, Feni, Selonia, Halda, Sangu and Matamuhuri rivers may rise rapidly over the next 24 to 72 hours.
Rivers in parts of Bandarban, Cox’s Bazar, Feni, Chattogram and Khagrachhari could cross the danger level, triggering short-term flooding in adjacent low-lying areas. Low-lying riverbank areas in Lakshmipur and Noakhali may also experience temporary inundation.
Flood risks are also increasing in the northeast. Rivers in parts of Sylhet, Sunamganj, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Netrokona, Sherpur and Mymensingh may exceed the danger level within the next 24 to 72 hours, causing localized short-term flooding in nearby lowlands.
In Rangpur Division, the Teesta, Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers are also expected to rise rapidly over the next three days. The Teesta is forecast to cross the danger level within the next 24 to 48 hours, raising the risk of short-term flooding in low-lying areas of Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat. During the same period, the Dharla and Dudhkumar rivers may reach warning levels in parts of Lalmonirhat and Kurigram, leading to temporary flooding in adjacent low-lying areas.
Meanwhile, water levels in the Brahmaputra-Jamuna river system are expected to decline over the next three days before rising again during the following two days. The Ganges is likely to remain stable for three days before increasing, while the Padma is expected to continue falling over the next five days.
Despite these fluctuations, the FFWC said all major rivers are expected to remain below their danger levels during the forecast period, except for localized rises, including the Teesta.
