United News of Bangladesh

A nor'wester accompanied by strong winds and hailstorms swept several upazilas of Lalmonirhat district on Saturday night, damaging hundreds of houses, trees, and crops. The storm which began around 9:45pm  and lasted for about 30 minutes left a trail of destruction in Aditmari, Kaliganj, Hatibandha, and Patgram upazilas among other areas. According to locals, the storm uprooted trees and blew away tin-roofed houses, leaving many families in distress. Nor’wester hits Sunamganj; damages houses, crops Crops including mangoes, litchis, maize, paddy, and jute suffered damages. Suman Mia, a resident of of Kakina union in Kaliganj said a tree fell on his tin-shed house, causing severe damage. "My tobacco crops have also been badly affected," he said. Another local, Saidul Islam, said three tin houses in  Kakina char area were destroyed after a banyan tree collapsed on them. "Many shops in the adjacent market were also damaged. Fallen trees blocked roads in several areas," he added. In Hatibandha's Goddimari union, residents reported damage to houses and crops as uprooted trees fell onto homes and roads. Fire Service teams, along with locals, worked through the night to clear the roads. Alal Uddin, panel chairman of Kaliganj’s Chalbala union, said he visited several affected areas after the storm subsided and found many houses damaged. A list is being prepared to assist the affected families, he said. Lalmonirhat Deputy Commissioner HM Robik Haydar said local officials and residents have started assessing the damage. No casualties have been reported so far, he said.    

Three school children were injured as a nor'wester, locally called Kalbaisakhi, blew down a school in Cox's Bazar's Moheshkhali Saturday. The storm destroyed Bangabandhu Private Primary School in Hoanak Purbo Horiar Chara. The injured are kindergarten students Muntaha Begum, Mobasshera Begum; and first-grader Faria Sultana. Classes started at Bangabandhu Primary School, as usual, in the morning. Thirty minutes later, heavy rains, thunderstorms and strong winds pounded the primary school made of wood and corrugated iron sheets, causing widespread damage and leaving three students injured, Rahamat Ullah, headteacher of the school, said. The critically injured Muntaha was first taken to Maheshkhali Upazila Health Complex and then to Cox's Bazar Sadar Hospital. Mobasshera and Faria are now undergoing treatment at Maheshkhali Upazila Health Complex. The upazila administration will give financial assistance to the school for its reconstruction, Maheshkhali Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Yaseen said. Also read: Nor’wester claims two lives in Bogura

The Met office in Dhaka on Thursday predicted rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind likely to occur at some places over the country. “Rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind is likely to occur at one or two places over Rajshahi, Rangpur, Dhaka, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions and the regions of Kushtia and  Cumilla,” said a Met office bulletin issued on Tuesday at 9am. Also Read: Rain, thundershowers likely The weather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country, it added. Mild to  moderate heatwave is  sweeping  over Rajshahi,  Khulna, Barishal and Dhaka divisions  and the regions  of  Rangamati, Sitakunda, Cumilla, Feni, Noakhali, Srimangal and Dinajpur and it may abate from some places, said the Met office. Day temperature may fall slightly and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country. Also Read: Year's first rain causes sufferings to city dwellers The maximum temperature was recorded 39.3 degrees Celsius on Wednesday at Rajshahi while Dhaka experienced 37.1 degrees Celsius.

A nor'wester is likely to lash parts of Bangladesh, including Dhaka, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) said in an update Wednesday. The update on the BMD app, sent around 10pm, said to expect rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally winds, or Kalbaishakhi, "in the next 3-4 hours." A heatwave is sweeping over Sitakunda, Rangamati, Cumilla, Maijdee Court, Feni, Rajshahi, Pabna; and Dhaka, Rangpur, Khulna, Barishal and Sylhet divisions. Rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind or Kalbhaishaki is likely to sweep over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions and Cumilla in the next 24 hours, the BMD said earlier. Nor'wester or the Kalbaishakhi occurs in India and Bangladesh, often with violent hurricane-speed winds and the pre-monsoon nor'wester is caused by heavy convection for excessive heat. A severe Nor'wester hit Dhaka and northwestern Bangladesh on April 4, 2015, leaving a trail of destruction – killing at least 24 people and injuring hundreds, uprooting countless trees and flattening many tin built houses and mud-built houses and snapping road and rail communication with affected areas. Another danger that has come to the fore in recent years is lightning accompanying the nor'westers, that have taken scores of lives in recent years. In 2016, 42 people were killed in a single day of nor'westers across the country. 

A blanket of clouds started to turn the day into night on Saturday noon in Dhaka.

The electricity supply in two cities—Dhaka and  Narayanganj— was disrupted for a few hours in the early morning of Wednesday due to nor'wester accompanied by heavy shower.

Rain or thunder showers, accompanied by temporary gusty or squally wind, is likely to hit parts of the country, including Dhaka.