Bangladesh has experienced continuous torrential rain during this monsoon season, flooding large areas, causing landslides and impacting transport infrastructure.
Over the weekend, a deep convection over the North Bay brought more rain to the region's ports and coastal areas. The Bangladesh Meteorological Department advised the ports of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Mongla and Payra to take the necessary precautions.
This additional rainfall has added to the already waterlogged Chittagong city and port area, disrupting supply chain operations significantly.
According to a Kuehne+Nagel advisory, container loading and discharge operations are slower due to poor visibility. Container pick-ups and drop-offs are hampered by the slow-moving equipment, increasing turnaround times.
On a positive note. railways continue to operate without any significant disruptions; however, as a precautionary measure, operations are running slow.
Container Freight Stations, while not flooded, are also impacted as poor visibility slows down movement within the area.
Most significantly affected are barge movements. All barge shipping between Pangoan Inland Container Terminal and Chittagong has been stopped as a precautionary measure.
According to a forecast issued by the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, heavy to very heavy rain is expected across the country for the next 24 hours. The ports of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Mongla and Payra are advised to be on high alert and hoist local cautionary signal No. 3 until further notice.
The summer monsoon season in Asia usually runs between April and September. The change in the wind direction as winter ends brings warm, moist air from the southwest Indian Ocean to India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. More well-known than the dry winter monsoon season, the summer monsoon is humid and characterised by torrential rainfall.
