Low-lying areas of Bangladesh's coastal districts and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by the wind-driven surge, at the height of 2-3 feet above normal astronomical tide, under the influence of a full moon and steep pressure gradient.The monsoon deep depression over Khulna and adjoining areas of Bangladesh moved west-northward and weakened into a land depression. It now lies over India's West Bengal-Bihar and adjoining areas, said a Bangladesh Meteorological Department bulletin on Wednesday (August 02, 2023). Read: Floods around Chinese capital kill at least 20, leave 27 missing as thousands evacuatedIt is likely to move in a west-northwesterly direction further and weaken gradually.Under its influence, a steep pressure gradient persists over the north Bay and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh. Read: Chandpur wholesale market flooded with hilsa, price coming downSqually weather is likely to continue over north Bay and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh.The maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla, and Payra have been advised to keep local cautionary signal no. 3 hoisted. All fishing boats and trawlers over north Bay have been advised to remain in shelter till further notice.

Local administration in Khulna has prepared 409 cyclone shelters to evacuate people as cyclone ‘Sitrang’ is expected to make landfall in southern Bangladeshi coast by early Tuesday. Cyclone 'Sitrang' is likely to hit 19 coastal districts including Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat, according to a weather bulletin. Maritime ports of Mongla and Payra have been advised to hoist danger signal No 7, warned Bangladesh Meteorological Department in their latest bulletin on Monday morning. Read: Cyclone Sitrang: Heavy rains continue to batter Bangladesh amid flood warning across coastal region  

Several low-lying areas of coastal districts and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by tidal surges 1-2 feet above normal astronomical tide, the weather department said on Monday. The districts are Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barishal, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni, Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar. The land depression over North Madhya Pradesh and adjoining area of India moved West-Northwestwards further and weakened into a well-marked low over the same area at 12 noon on Monday. It is likely to move West-Northwestwards further and weaken gradually. Read: Low-lying areas of 5 dists flooded due to tidal surge caused by depression Under its influence deep convection is taking place over North Bay and adjoining areas. Squally weather may affect the maritime ports, North Bay and adjoining coastal area of Bangladesh. Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal no three. All fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay and deep sea have been advised to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution till further notice. They are also advised not to venture into the deep sea.

Low-lying areas of coastal districts and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by tidal surges, the weather department said Sunday. These districts are Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jahalakathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barishal, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni, Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar. Read:Low pressure likely over North Bay in 72 hrs: Met office Meanwhile, the well-marked low over west-central Bay and adjoining northeast Bay intensified into a depression and lies over coastal Odisha and adjoining Northwest Bay. “It is likely to move west-northwestwards further,” according to a special bulletin. Squally weather may affect the maritime ports, north Bay and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh. Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal No 3. Read: Maritime ports asked to alert vessels of possible squall Under its influence, deep convection is also taking place over north Bay and adjoining area. "All fishing boats and trawlers in the North Bay have been advised to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution until further notice," the department said. They are also advised not to venture into the deep sea, it added.

The low-lying areas of 15 coastal districts in Bangladesh, including their offshore islands and chars, are likely to be inundated by tidal surges, the weather department said on Saturday. These districts are Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barishal, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni, Chattogram and Cox's Bazar. The deep depression over the northeast Bay and adjoining Bangladesh-West Bengal coast moved west-northwestwards and crossed West Bengal and adjoining North Odisha coast, according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department. Also read: Tidal surge likely to inundate low-lying areas of coastal districts It now lies over coastal area of West Bengal-North Odisha as a land depression. It is likely to move northwestwards further and weaken gradually. Under its influence, deep convection is taking place and steep pressure gradient persists over North Bay and adjoining areas of Bangladesh. Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal No 3. All fishing boats and trawlers in the North Bay and deep sea have been advised to remain in shelter till further notice.    

The low-lying areas of 15 coastal districts in Bangladesh, including their offshore islands and chars, are likely to be inundated by tidal surges, the weather department said on Friday. These districts are Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barishal, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni, Chattogram and Cox's Bazar. The well-marked low over the northeast Bay moved northwestwards and intensified into a depression over the northeast Bay and adjoining areas around 6am, according to Bangladesh Meteorological Department. Read: Depression in Bay: Low-lying areas of 4 districts inundated The depression is likely to intensify further and move northwestwards. The sea will remain rough near the depression centre as maximum sustained wind speed within 44km of the depression centre is about 40 kmph rising to 50 kmph in squalls, it added. Squally weather may affect the maritime ports, the North Bay, and the adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh.  Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal No 3. "All fishing boats and trawlers in the North Bay have been advised to take shelter immediately and remain in shelter till further notice," the department said.

Several low-lying areas of coastal districts and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by tidal surges, the weather department said on Saturday. The districts are Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jhalakathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barishal, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni, Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar. According to the weather department, a steep pressure gradient (pressure changing rapidly between two areas) persists over the North Bay and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh. Read: Caution for maritime ports: Low pressure over Bay intensifies Squally weather may affect the maritime ports, the North Bay and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh. Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla, Payra have been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal No 3. All fishing boats and trawlers over the North Bay have been advised to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution until further notice.    

Several low-lying areas of coastal districts and their offshore islands and chars are likely to be inundated by tidal surges, the weather department has warned. These districts are Satkhira, Khulna, Bagerhat, Jahalakathi, Pirojpur, Barguna, Patuakhali, Bhola, Barishal, Laxmipur, Chandpur, Noakhali, Feni Chattogram, and Cox’s Bazar. Meanwhile, the well-marked low over Chhattisgarh and adjoining areas of India have moved westwards to weaken into a low pressure area over Madhya Pradesh and nearby areas. Read: Tidal surge inundates 18 Jhalakati villages Under its influence, steep pressure gradient persists over the North Bay and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh. Squally weather may affect the maritime ports, the North Bay and adjoining coastal areas of Bangladesh, according to the weather department. Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have also been advised to keep hoisted local cautionary signal No 3. All fishing boats and trawlers over the North Bay have been advised to remain close to the coast and proceed with caution till further notice.

All necessary preparations have been taken in five coastal districts to face any possible situation that might arise due to cyclonic storm ‘Asani’. Barishal divisional administration has kept 4,915 shelter centres ready even though the Bangladesh Meteorological Department predicted that the cyclone is unlikely to hit the country's coastline.  Of these, 1,071 shelters have been prepared in Barishal district, 925 in Patuakhali, 1104 in Bhola, 712 in Pirojpur, 629 in Barguna and 474 in Jhalakathi. Two million people along with their livestock can take shelter at these centers. Besides, the Divisional Commissioner's Office has instructed the concerned officials to provide clean water, dry food and electricity in the shelters. CPP (Cyclone Preparedness Programme) volunteers have also been prepared, said a source at district administration. The Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNOs) and various government and non-government organizations have already been instructed to remain alert. Amin-ul-Ahsan, Barishal Divisional Commissioner, said adequate preparations have been taken to face the possible cyclone. UNB Patuakhali correspondent reports: The coastal areas of Patuakhali district have been experiencing rainfall since Sunday morning, due to the impact of severe Cyclonic storm ‘Asani’ that is brewing over the Bay. The local Met office recorded 41.6 mm of rainfall activities around 6 pm on Monday. The local Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) office asked the farmers to harvest their paddy as soon as possible to mitigate damage. Also read: Cyclone ‘Asani’ over Bay: Heavy rainfall likely in 3 divisions Rahat Hossain, an observer of Patuakhali Weather Office, said “Light to moderate rains are likely to continue for two more days in the district. The southern part of the country including Patuakhali is likely to be safe but it will likely make landfall in Odisha in India." Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Kamal Hossain, said “We will sit in a meeting after getting No 4 signal but we still are observing the situation.” Maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to hoist distant warning signal No 2. UNB Bhola correspondent reports, the local administration has kept 691 shelters ready to tackle the cyclone ‘Asani’. The local Met Office recorded 4.5 mm of rainfall from Monday morning until Monday noon. The authorities concerned have alerted the fishermen and residents of the coastal areas through loudspeakers. Meanwhile a sense of panic has been prevailing in the area. Deputy Commissioner of Bhola district said all out preparation has been taken and 13,600 volunteers of Red Crescent are ready to face any situation. Around noon on Monday, it was centered about 1105 Kms Southwest of Chattogram port,  1045 kms Southwest of Cox’s Bazar port, 1015 kms South-Southwest of Mongla port and 1000 kms South-Southwest  of Payra port, said a Met Office bulletin. It is likely to move in a northwesterly direction, it said.  State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Md Enamur Rahman on Sunday said there is no possibility of Cyclone Asani hitting Bangladesh coast. He said the cyclone is moving northwestwards and it will weaken while passing Odisha, Visakhapatnam, Bhubaneswar and West Bengal in India on May 12 and will turn into a low, he told reporters at his Secretariat office. The cyclone might cause storms and rains in Bangladesh but there will be no tidal surge, he added.

Speakers at the consultation on the formulation of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) on Monday underscored the need for a master plan covering all the coastal districts to address the challenges of climate changes and mainstream adaptation efforts.The consultation discussed major climatic risks in different coastal districts, adaptation strategies of the farmers and determinants of the choice of those strategies.Jhalokathi and other coastal districts are vulnerable to increasing salinity of its groundwater as well as surface water resources, especially along the coast, due to increases in sea level as a direct impact of global warming.The consultation was held at the conference room of the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Jhalokathi. Also read: Saline water invasion: Many in coastal Bagerhat taking to rainwater for survivalAdditional Secretary of the MoEFCC and National Project Director of the NAP Formulation Project Md Mizanul Haque Chowdhury was present as the Chief Guest while Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik, Additional Secretary, MoEFCC was present as the Special Guest. Deputy Commissioner of Jhalokathi Md Johor Ali chaired the consultation.The consultation was jointly organised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Economic Relations Division (ERD) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF).Participants opined that the livelihood of smallholder farmers is affected by climatic risks such as cyclones, increasing soil and water salinity, storm surges and heavy rainfall that can result in flooding and water-logging. They stressed a master plan to address these challenges.Jashim Uddin Haider, deputy commissioner of Barishal, said that scarcity of fresh water in the dry season, increased number of chars (small islands formed by silt), riverbank erosion and salinity intrusion are key challenges posed by climate change.“To turn Bangladesh into a welfare state, we must address these challenges” he said. Also read: CSOs, MPs demand Tk 150 bn for coastal protectionMonirul Islam Talukder, president of Jhalokathi Chamber of Commerce said, “River erosion is killing us – stopping erosion should be our priority to make our development efforts sustainable.”Hemayet Uddin Himu, president, Committee of the Concerned Citizens said that In addressing the challenges of climate change and mainstream adaptation efforts, Government should adopt a master plan covering all 19 coastal districts.Mahmudur Rahman Parvez, correspondent of Prothom Alo Jhalokathi said that Waste management is a serious concern in Jhalokathi which is emitting methane. “If we don’t urgently address this, it will wreak havoc on the environment and affect the livelihood of the people.”Rahim Reza, Jhalokathi correspondent of Ajker Patrika mentioned that Although Jhalokathi is better covered by the forests compared to other districts in Bangladesh, the rampant establishment of sawmills is likely to turn this district into a deforested zone in the coming days.A K M Azad Rahman, Programme Officer-Climate Change, UNDP said that UNDP will provide all-out support to Bangladesh in combatting climate change. “We are closely working with the government in designing sustainable projects in coastal regions”, he added.Sanjay Kumar Bhowmik said that NAP will be the guiding policy document for our adaptation efforts and will supplement all the national-level planning.“Through the consultation, we are delegating its ownership to you. For successful implementation of NAP, we will need a partnership with both at the national and local level”, he said.Md Mizanul Haque Chowdhury said that NAP will be harmonized with the national planning process and supplement the Annual Development Programme, Five Year Plan, Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100, etc.He emphasised raising awareness to combat climate change, protect the environment and mainstream adaptation efforts.Md Johor Ali said that rainwater harvesting can be effecting adaptation strategy for the coastal regions.He suggested smart designing of climate change related projects so that it brings the desired results.While delivering the keynote, Malik Fida A Khan, executive director of the CEGIS said that NAP is a participatory and country-driven process and would address the medium to long term adaptation needs of Bangladesh and turn her into a climate-resilient country in the long run.He added that NAP would specifically address the climate vulnerability of the coastal regions, address the existing capacity gaps and establish a knowledge management system on climate change adaptation.