9781422273388

A woman being rescued as a result of heavy flooding by monsoon rains and high tides on the Padma River in Dohar.

Climate The climate in Bangladesh is described as a tropical monsoon climate with three distinct seasons. March through May is the hot, pre-monsoon season. The monsoon season lasts from June to October, and the dry winter season lasts from November to February. During the hot season, temperatures can rise to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) and thunderstorms are quite common. Storms can be very intense in April and May, and toward the latter part of the monsoon season, from September to November. Hail and wind speeds of more than 100 miles per hour (160 km per hour) are common, with ocean waves in the Bay of Bengal sometimes reaching nearly 20 feet (6 meters) in height. Many of these large waves crash into Bangladesh’s coastal communities, killing people and destroying massive numbers of homes and property. During the rainy season, the country experiences many consecutive days of rainfall and subsequent high humidity. The rainfall during these months makes up 85 percent of the annual total rainfall. When tropical depressions enter the nearby

12 BANGLADESH

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