Capital city Dhaka witnessed heavy rainfall today as a 'deep depression' formed in the bay and began crossing over Bangladesh. Photo: BSS

   DHAKA, May 29, 2025 (BSS) – Rain soaked nearly entire Bangladesh today alongside storms at places as a “deep depression” brewed in the bay landed and started crossing Bangladesh’s southwestern Khepupara and Sagar Island of India’s West Bengal since 3 in the afternoon causing tidal surges in 14 districts, the met office said.

   Weather experts said the coincidence of new moon and the depression intensified the depressions impact which in particular submerged the world’s largest mangrove forest of the Sundarbans along the Bay of Bengal in the morning.

   “The deep depression started crossing Bangladesh coastlines at around 3.30 pm . . . we could witness tidal surges as high as 4 feet high at places in 14 different southern districts along the coastlines,” a meteorologist said.

   His comments came hours after a met office statement said maximum sustained wind speed within 48 km of the “deep depression center” was “about 50 kph rising to 60 kph in gusts or squalls”.

   Residents and witnesses said the depression brought with it heavy rains and storms at many areas forcing people to stay indoors in coastlines and central districts as well while the heavy clouds covered the skylines shortening the daylight period.

   Officials and local journalists said the waters inflated up to 80 centimeters submerging most of the Sundarbans because of the weather phenomenon during the midday though the waters started receded in the afternoon with the start of routine low tide.

   “No immediate information could be gathered if the inundation caused any harm to wild lives in the forest,” a forest official said but added that their Karamjal Wild Life Reproduction Cntre, however, remained unaffected.
      
  Weather experts said the coincidence of new moon and the depression intensified the depressions impact which in particular submerged the world’s largest mangrove forest of the Sundarbans.

  The reports suggest the coastal regions witnessed 47 mm downpour in between since 3 pm yesterday to 3 pm today due to the deep depression.

   The met office said until evening today the country largely witnessed drizzles even after the evening after relatively heavier rainfalls. 
     
   The met office earlier asked maritime ports of Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra to keep hoisted local cautionary signal no 3, meant for neighbourhoods around the areas surrounding neighbourhoods.

   It said as the deep depression’s fallout coinciding with the new moon phase and deep depression, low-lying areas of the coastal regions of Chattogram, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Feni, Hatiya, Sandwip, Chandpur, Borguna, Bhola, Patuakhali, Barishal, Pirojpur, Jhalokathi, Bagherhat, Khulna, Satkhira and their offshore islands and shoals were likely to be inundated by wind driven surge of 2-4 feet height above normal astronomical tide.

   The met office asked all fishing boats and trawlers over North Bay to remain in shelter till further notice, which was not issued until the evening today.