Meteorologists have predicted that heavy rainfall might persist resulting in more events of severe flooding this year.
On the other hand, agronomists and disaster experts have stressed adequate preparedness to minimise agricultural damage and casualties.
Total rainfall in April crossed that of last year, measured as 1,250 mm so far in eight divisions against natural rainfall of 1,120 mm, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).
The three-month forecast of rainfall and weather of the country by BMD showed that rain in May might exceed the level of normal rain last year.
MET Office forecasted 2,505 mm rainfall in May against normal rainfall of 2,380 mm while June forecast is for 3,640 mm against normal rain of 3,400 mm.
Rainfall in May-September period might cross that of last year because of early arrival of monsoon from the third week of May.
The Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (FFWC) under the Water Development Board (BWDB) forecasted two spells of medium to severe flooding between May and September.
Sarder Udoy Raihan, sub-divisional engineer at the BWDB, said a flash flood might occur in the first week of May amid heavy rainfall in Sylhet and Mymensingh regions and their adjacent parts of the neighbouring country.
He said heavy rainfall and upstream water might cause inundation in June-July and later in August-September period in Padma, Brahmaputra and Meghna basins.
BMD Deputy Director Md Sadequl Alam told the FE that 2018 is La Nina threshold which means probably more rain.
Quoting from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), US, he said equatorial sea surface temperatures (SSTs) are below average across the central and eastern Pacific Ocean. And La Nina is expected to transition to ENSO-neutral during the April-May, with ENSO-neutral then likely (greater than 50 per cent chance) to continue through the Northern Hemisphere, he said.
He said as per their 'probabilistic forecasting,' there is a 60 per cent possibility of severe flooding than normal this year.
Agronomist at Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI), Mostaque Ahmed, said this year haor farmers are safe as flash flood is likely to occur after the harvest.
But waterlogging in May-June may hit standing boro crops and vegetables across the country.
He said the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE) will have to work hard to help farmers cultivate early growing and water-tolerant varieties.
Weather forecast should be reached to farmers' doorsteps, he said. Two spells of flooding last year caused a severe blow to crop production as output of key staple rice witnessed a notable decline. Production of boro, the key source for major staple, showed an eight-year low of 18.1 million tonnes in 2017, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) data showed.
A study of the local think-tank Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) showed the loss caused by the two spells of flood in the country was estimated more than Tk 150.1 billion.
Crop loss, collapse of houses and damage of roads, culverts, embankments and dams brought a severe blow to more than 12.87 million people in 38 districts in 2017.
The study said a flash flood hit six districts in the Haor area during March-April and the second one occurred in August- thereby affecting most of the area of the country.
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