Bangladesh Meteorological Department has forecast  rains in Dhaka and some other parts of the country in 24 hours commencing 9 am on Wednesday. “Light rain is likely at one or two places over Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions,” said a Met office bulletin. Weather may remain mainly dry with temporary partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country. Night and day temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country, it said. Light to moderate fog may occur at places over the riverbasins of the country during early morning.

The routes of the Sundarbans Express and Benapole Express trains will not be changed for now and those will run through Rajbari, Faridpur, and Bhanga stations to Dhaka. The decision was taken following demonstrations by local people under the banner of ‘People from all strata in Rajbari and Faridpur’ demanding cancellation of the government decision of route changing. Arbar Etu, coordinator of the protesting people, said after the train service started on this route under the previous government and it is profitable. The train seats are always full and there is no reason to change the route, she said. Considering the needs of people of people in Faridpur, Rajbari, Kushtia, and surrounding districts, they urge the government not to cancel the train services. Earlier on Saturday night, local people staged a demonstration by halting the movement of ‘Rajbari Express-105’ at Rajbari Rail Station protesting route changing decisions of the government. Later the following day they halted movement of ‘Madhumoti Express and Sundarban Express for the same demand. Faridpur Railway Assistant Station Master Sujat Ali Sardar, said "We have not received any official instructions about the change in the route for the Sundarbans and Benapole Express trains. We have not been informed of any decision, either written or verbal, from the Ministry of Railway." "But unofficially, we have been informed that until an alternative arrangement is made for this route, the Benapole and Sundarbans Express will continue to operate as per the previous schedule," he said. On November 1, 2023, the two trains-- Sundarbans Express and Benapole Express—started its operation on the Faridpur-Rajbari route, providing a convenient travel option for people from Faridpur and nearby districts to reach Dhaka in a short time.  

The recurrent storms in eastern Spain that led to massive flooding last week and killed at least 217 people, mostly near Valencia, dumped rain on Barcelona on Monday, prompting authorities to suspend commuter rail service. Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente said he was suspending all commuter trains in northeast Catalonia, a region with 8 million people, on request from civil protection officials. Mobile phones in Barcelona screeched with an alert for “extreme and continued rainfall” on the southern outskirts of the city. The alert urged people to avoid any normally dry gorges or canals. Mud-caked volunteers clean flood debris in a Spanish town as authorities struggle to respond Puente said that the rains had forced air traffic controllers to change the course of 15 flights operating at Barcelona’s airport, located on the southern flank of the city. Several highways have been closed due to flooding. Classes were cancelled in Tarragona, a city in southern Catalonia about halfway between Barcelona and Valencia, after a red alert for rains was issued. Meanwhile, in Valencia, the search continued for bodies inside houses and thousands of wrecked cars strewn in the streets, on highways, and in canals that channeled last week's floods into populated areas. Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said that authorities can still not give a reliable estimate of the missing. Spanish national television RTVE, however, has broadcast pleas for help by several desperate people whose loved ones are unaccounted for. In the Aldaia municipality, some 50 soldiers, police and firefighters, some wearing wetsuits, searched in a huge shopping center's underground parking lot for possible victims. They used a small boat and spotlights to move around in the huge structure with vehicles submerged in at least a meter of murky water. Police spokesman Ricardo Gutiérrez told reporters that so far some 50 vehicles had been found and no bodies had been discovered there. The Bonaire shopping mall's 1,800 underground parking spaces quickly filled with water and mud on Tuesday and Wednesday when the southern outskirts of Valencia were hit by a tsunami-like flooding. The team is using four pumps to remove the water. Citizens, volunteers and thousands of soldiers and police officers pressed on with their gargantuan clean-up effort to clear out mud and debris. Many people feel abandoned by authorities, their anger erupting on Sunday when a crowd tossed mud at Spain's royal couple, the prime minister and regional leaders as they made their first visit to Paiporta, where over 60 people died and the survivors have lost their homes and still don't have drinking water. Spain is used to autumn storms that can lead to flooding, but the latest ones have produced the deadliest flooding in living memory for Spaniards. Climate scientists and meteorologists say the immediate cause of the flooding was a cut-off lower-pressure storm system that migrated from an unusually wavy and stalled jet stream. It was likely fueled by a record-hot Mediterranean Sea. That system simply parked itself over the region and unleashed a deluge. The Spanish navy’s “Galicia” transport vessel arrived in Valencia’s port on Monday with marines, helicopters and trucks loaded with food and water to help with the relief effort, which included 7,500 soldiers and thousands of police reinforcements.

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecast light rain at one or two places over Chattogram and Sylhet divisions on Monday. During the period, the weather may remain dry with temporary partly cloudy sky elsewhere over the country, said a Met office update on Sunday. Dhaka’s ‘unhealthy’ air quality continues Day and night temperatures may remain nearly unchanged over the country, according to the BMD. The country’s highest temperature was recorded in Mongla at 34.2 degree Celsius over the past 24 hours till 6pm on Saturday while the lowest temperature at 20.1 degree Celsius in Panchagarh’s Tetulia till 6am on Sunday.

Several people were reported missing by Spanish authorities after flash floods swept cars through village streets and disrupted rail service in large areas of eastern and southern Spain on Tuesday. Rushing mud-colored waters caused havoc in a huge arc of the European country, running from the provinces of Malaga in the south to Valencia in the east. Images shot by people with smartphones reproduced on Spain’s national broadcaster RTVE showed frighteningly swift waters carrying away cars and rising several feet into the lower level of homes. A high-speed train with nearly 300 people on board derailed near Malaga, although rail authorities said no one was hurt. The high-speed train service between Valencia city and Madrid was interrupted as were several commuter lines. The national government office for the Castilla La Mancha region told radio channel Cadena Ser that six people in the region were missing. Flooding, landslides leave some 126 dead, massive missing in Philippines Spanish news agency EFE said that one truck driver was missing in L’Alcudia, a town in Valencia. Also in Valencia, the mayor of Utiel, Ricardo Gabaldón, told RTVE that several people were trapped in their homes. Police and rescue services used helicopters to lift people from homes and cars which were in danger of drowning. An emergency rescue brigade of Spain’s army deployed to help rescue efforts. Storms were forecast to continue through Thursday, according to Spain’s national weather service. Spain has experienced similar autumn storms in recent years. The country has recovered somewhat from a severe drought this year thanks to rainfall. Scientists say that increased episodes of extreme weather are likely linked to climate change.

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecast rain or thunder showers in all divisions including Dhaka of the country in 24 hours commencing 9:00am on Friday. “Rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at a few places over Dhaka, Khulna and Sylhet divisions and at one or two places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Barishal and Chattogram divisions,” said a met office update. The country’s highest 53millimeter of rainfall was recorded in Barishal in 24 hours till 6am on Friday. Read: Rain, thunder shower likely over 4 divisions, BMD says Day temperatures may fall slightly and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country, according to the BMD. The country’s highest temperature was recorded in Feni at 35.5 degree Celsius over the past 24 hours till 6pm on Thursday while the lowest temperature 21.6 degree Celsius was recorded in Panchagarh’s Tetulia till 6am on Friday.

A fire at Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital (SBMCH) has forced hospital authorities to scramble for alternatives. The fire broke out on Sunday, prompting the transfer of patients from the affected medicine building to the hospital’s older facility. However, the older building, already overwhelmed with a high number of patients and existing resource shortages, has been unable to provide the desired level of care for the displaced patients. Due to the influx of new patients, the hospital administration has been facing severe challenges. Some new patients are being redirected to other government hospitals as space runs out. As of Monday afternoon, a few patients were moved back to the third floor of the fire-damaged medicine building, with plans to accommodate more patients on the fourth floor starting Tuesday, according to hospital authorities. A six-member investigation committee was formed immediately following Sunday’s fire to determine the cause of the incident. One concerned relative of a patient, Abdul Motaleb, described the chaotic situation during the evacuation: "We brought our patient here in panic after the fire. Amid the crowd, we managed to transfer them to the old building, but there was no bed available. The patient has been lying on the floor, which has worsened their condition." Dr. Moniruzzaman, acting director of the hospital, acknowledged the difficulty in managing the situation. "We have managed to place some of the patients in various wards of the old building, though some had to remain on the floor," he said. New patients were sent to general hospitals, he added.

In a remarkable turn of events, a rare rainfall has transformed parts of the Sahara Desert, typically one of the world’s driest regions, into a scene of blue lagoons and lush greenery. The downpour, which has been described as the heaviest in decades, has led to the filling of Lake Iriqui, a once-parched lake bed that had been dry for over 50 years. A Green Transformation in the Desert The rainstorm, which occurred in September, brought about stunning changes to the otherwise barren desert landscape. Vast sand dunes, typically golden and desolate, are now submerged beneath sheets of water, creating vibrant green expanses across southeastern Morocco. Satellite imagery has captured the extraordinary sight of water flowing through the desert sands, surrounding ancient castles and nourishing desert flora. In some areas, palm trees have been partially submerged, reflecting in the newly formed lakes. Lake Iriqui, located in the southern part of the Sahara Desert, has become the focal point of this transformation, filling for the first time in half a century. The desert town of Merzouga, near Rachidia, has also witnessed unprecedented flooding, with nearby reservoirs reaching record levels throughout September. Climate Change and Atmospheric Shifts Experts have attributed this rare occurrence to a combination of climate change and unusual atmospheric conditions. Houssine Youabeb from Morocco’s General Directorate of Meteorology explained that the rain resulted from an extratropical storm, which brought with it unusually high levels of moisture. Brick by brick, Morocco rebuilds 12th-century mosque destroyed by 2023 earthquake  “It’s been 30 to 50 years since we’ve seen this much rain in such a short time,” Youabeb said, adding that the event may signal a shift in weather patterns for the region in the coming months and years. Southeastern Morocco typically sees less than 250 millimetres of rain annually, with late summer often being dry. However, two days of intense rainfall in September far exceeded the yearly average, raising questions about future weather trends. The increased moisture in the air could lead to more frequent storms and long-term changes in the region’s climate. A Mixed Blessing for the Region While the rainfall has brought hope of replenishing underground aquifers that are vital to life in desert regions, it has also caused tragedy. The heavy rains led to flash floods, which have claimed over 20 lives in Morocco and neighbouring Algeria. Farmers in the region, already struggling from six years of drought, saw their crops devastated by the downpours. In response, the Moroccan government has allocated emergency relief funds to the affected areas, many of which were also hit by an earthquake last year. The rains may offer a temporary reprieve from drought, but the long-term impact remains uncertain as communities continue to ration water and rebuild. The unexpected rain has brought beauty and destruction to the Sahara, creating a landscape that is as striking as it is fragile. For now, the sight of water glistening in the desert serves as a reminder of the unpredictable forces shaping the planet’s most extreme environments. Source: Agencies  

Dhaka city dwellers experienced heavy rainfall accompanied by lightning and gusty wind on Saturday morning. The low-lying areas in the capital and a number of alleys were inundated due to the rains, making it difficult for people who planned to go out in the morning.Although educational institutions and most of the offices remained closed for Durga Puja holiday the Hindu devotees who went out to visit temples faced trouble due to waterlogged and muddy roads. As some of the private offices remained open, the office goers suffer for lack of transports.The rains triggered by the active monsoon started around 6 am and continued till 7 am.Meteorologist of Bangladesh Meteorological Department Monowar Hossain said 20 mm rain was recorded in Dhaka from 6am Friday to 6 am onSaturday.The rainfall may decrease in 72 hours till Monday and then increase again, he said.

Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD) has forecast rain or thundershowers in all divisions including Dhaka of the country in 24 hours commencing 9am on Friday. “Light to moderate rain or thunder showers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at a few places over Sylhet division and at one or two places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal Chattogram divisions with moderately heavy falls at places over the country,” said a met office update. The country’s highest 24millimeter of rainfall was recorded in Sylhet in 24 hours till 6am on Friday. Day and night temperature may remain nearly unchanged over the country, according to the BMD. Read: Rain, thundershowers likely over 8 divisions, BMD says The country’s highest temperature was recorded in Mongla at 35 degree Celsius over the past 24 hours till 6pm on Thursday while the lowest temperature 23.8 degree Celsius was recorded in Sylhet till 6am on Friday. Meanwhile, monsoon trough runs through Bihar, West Bengal to Assam across central part of Bangladesh. Monsoon is fairly active over Bangladesh and weak to moderate over North Bay.