More monsoon rain targets India, Bangladesh after mudslides kill over 150
At least 147 people have been killed as deadly landslides ravaged Bangladesh and the surrounding regions. The landslides were brought on by heavy monsoon rains, causing flash flooding. The death toll could rise as rescuers battle the elements to search for missing people.
Following the deadly mudslides from earlier this week, more lives and property will be at risk as heavy monsoon rain threatens to further inundate Bangladesh and northeastern India through at least this weekend.
Heavy monsoon rain caused flooding across northeastern India and Bangladesh, triggering mudslides early this week.
Meanwhile, New Delhi and the National Capital Region will continue to wait for the monsoon to arrive, and that wait may be longer than originally expected.
A widespread rainfall total of 75-150 mm (3-6 inches) fell across eastern Bangladesh and northeastern India early this week with local amounts over 250 mm (10 inches).
One of the hardest-hit regions is in eastern Bangladesh including Chittagong and the Rangamati Hill District.
Rainfall totaling over 300 mm (12 inches) fell early this week, causing several deadly mudslides. At least 156 people have been killed, according to Reuters.
At least 5,000 homes were destroyed or damaged in Rangamati, the Associated Press reported.
Mudslides also damaged or blocked roads in remote and hilly areas.
The capsizing of a ferry near Dhaka that forced around 100 people to swim to shore was also being blamed on the bad weather. No fatalities were reported.
Recovery workers attempt to lift the wreckage of a ferry that capsized in the river Buriganga in Keraiganj, near Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tuesday, June 13, 2017. (AP Photo/ A. M. Ahad)
The heavy monsoon rain briefly eased at midweek but will spread back across Bangladesh and neighboring northeastern India through Friday.
"An additional 75-150 mm (3-6 inches) with locally higher amounts threatens to further inundate parts of eastern Bangladesh and northeastern India. More downpours will follow this weekend and early next week," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.
The additional downpours will continue the high threat for mudslides and flash flooding across the region.
Rescuers search for survivors and bodies after Tuesday's massive landslide in Rangamati district, Bangladesh, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. (AP Photo)
Elsewhere, the monsoon rain over southern India will fail to make much more progress over the rest of the country during the next several days.
"While the monsoon has made steady advancement in the past couple of weeks, that will change the rest of this week and into next week," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jason Nicholls said.
"The monsoon from the Arabian Sea may advance very little into central India well into next week," he said. "However, there are signs that the monsoon from the Bay of Bengal may start to make more progress into north-central India later next week."
Children on a makeshift raft make their way through a flood waterlogged road in Gauhati, India, Wednesday, June 14, 2017. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
In either case, Nicholls does not expect the monsoon to reach New Delhi until early July.
Prior to the arrival of the monsoon, a shower or thunderstorm will dot the National Capital Region daily into this weekend and prevent a repeat of the highs of 42-43 C (108-110 F) that New Delhi endured earlier this week.
This weekend will still be warm with highs of 38-39 C (lower 100s F) expected.
Downpours within the thunderstorms may increase early next week as even higher humidity surges in.
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