Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon type climate with a
hot & rainy summer and a dry winter. January is the
coolest month with temperatures averaging near 26 deg C
(78 d F) and April the warmest with temperatures from 33
to 36 deg C (91 to 96 deg F). Most places of Bangladesh
receive more than 1,525 mm of rain a year, and areas
near the hills receive 5,080 mm ). Most rains occur
during the monsoon (June-September) and little in winter
(November-February).
The coastal districts of Bangladesh, particularly those
flanking the Meghna estuary, are susceptible to serious
damage from cyclones, which cause major losses of life
and property. In the early summer (April and May) and
late in the monsoon season (September to November)
storms of very high intensity often occure. They may
create winds with speed of 100-150 miles per hour piling
up the waters of Bay of Bengal to crests as high as 20
feet that crash with tremendous force onto the coastal
areas and offshore islands. Since the early 18th
century, when records were first kept, more than one
million people have been killed in such storms --815,000
of them in three storm occuring in 1737, 1876 and 1970.
Severe storms also occured in May 1985 and April 1991.
Lesser hazards in the region are hailstorms,
particularly in March and April, and tornadoes.
Bangladesh has warm temperatures throughout the year,
with relatively little variation from month to month.
January tends to be the coolest month and May the
warmest. In Dhaka the average January temperature is
about 19°C (about 66°F), and the average May temperature
is about 29°C (about 84°F).
Bangladesh is one of the most flood-prone countries in
the world. Essentially, it's the flood plain where two
huge rivers--the Ganges and the Brahmaputra--carry
spring snowmelt from the towering Himalayan Mountains to
the sea. When the rivers flood, so does Bangladesh.
Bangladesh being mostly formed of the Gangetic delta,
will be impacted severely if sea-levels rise as a result
of the greenhouse effect. Read about the potential
impact on bangladesh.
