Some relief, some sufferings

After the scorching summer heat during the last several days, Dhaka finally saw a gush of much needed, though unexpected rain yesterday.

Around 6:45am -- shortly after sunrise with most city dwellers asleep after Sehri -- dark clouds started hovering all over the sky, accompanied by a cool wind delivering the message loud and clear: a storm is on its way.

The rain was crucial in dropping the city's temperature. However, waterlogging and heavy traffic brought with it huge trouble for the commuters, mostly office- and school-goers.

The 70km-per hour speedy nor'wester, with an average speed of 55km-per hour, also snapped electricity lines in some parts of the capital, interrupting the supply.

A few areas in the capital, including Mirpur, Mohammadpur, Dhanmondi, Azimpur, Farmgate, Khilgaon, Banasree and Badda, faced load-shedding or power outages for one to two hours, according to residents.

However, the fire service control room did not receive reports of any major damage. Duty officer Lima Khanam informed a few trees were uprooted in the Chandrima Udyan area.

Md Abul Kalam Mallik, a meteorologist at Meteorological Department, said a maximum of 60mm rainfall was recorded in Rangpur.

The daytime temperature dropped by one to two degrees Celsius across the country. The weather department recorded a 44mm rainfall between 6:30am and 8:30am and predicted light to moderate showers in large parts of the country, including Dhaka, in the next 48 hours.