A massive nor'wester in Bogura district has caused extensive damage. The storm hit the entire district at midnight on Friday. This seasonal storm caused extensive damage to trees and homes, including IRRI-Boro paddy. Two people have died in two upazilas due to falling trees and landslides. The nor'wester started after 3:30 pm on Friday. The rain started with the storm. From 4:00 am to 4:00 pm, the speed of the storm was 86.6 kilometers per hour. Which is the highest speed storm this season. The Bogura Meteorological Office also said that 36 mm of rain fell in the district along with the storm at night.
It is learned that hundreds of houses and Boro paddy crops have been severely damaged in different upazilas of the district due to the nor'wester. During the Kalbaishakhi (nor'wester) season, trees fell in different areas of Bogura city and electric wires were torn in several places. As a result, most parts of the district are without electricity. Also, the farmers of the district are fearing huge losses in agriculture. Rahim Mandal of Shekherkola area of Bogura Sadar Upazila said the storm started suddenly at night. Many houses have been severely damaged due to falling trees in the storm. Ripe Boro paddy has suffered the most. That paddy was supposed to be taken home. That paddy has been washed away due to the storm.
Meanwhile, several villages including several villages of Kalai Union in Kahalu upazila of Bogura were washed away by a 15-minute storm at around 4:30 am on Saturday. A day laborer named Shahin (45) died when a tree fell on his house in Kalai Machpara and the house collapsed. Besides, a child named Mehedi Hasan (7) was injured when a mud house collapsed in Kalai South Naodapara. The storm that swept over at least 20 villages, including several villages in Kalai Union, uprooted trees and caused extensive damage to numerous houses. In different parts of the upazila, trees fell on the road and traffic was disrupted. A man named Abdul Halim (50) was killed when a tree fell on him at Shahjahanpur in Bogura. The incident took place at Brikushtia village in Shajahanpur upazila on Saturday morning. The deceased was identified as Abdul Halim, son of Anshar Ali of Brikushtia village under Shajahanpur upazila. A large tree fell on Abdul Halim's house in a storm on Saturday morning. When he went to cut the branches of the tree in the morning, he was seriously injured. He was later rescued and admitted to Bogra Shaheed Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital where he died at noon.
Meanwhile, farmers have also suffered huge losses due to the storm. Nandigram farmer Noor Alam said his boro paddy was severely damaged in the storm a few days ago. This time the rest of the storm is over. He is worried about what he will eat now.
Islam Ali, a farmer from Dhunat, said, “I have planted paddy in one bigha out of three bighas of land. The rest fell to the ground in the storm. Enamul Haque, Additional Deputy Director, Bogura Agricultural Extension Department, said heavy rains and storms had damaged Bora paddy in Bogura. This time the yield of paddy in the whole district will be affected. The victims are being listed and any assistance, including government incentives, will be provided on a priority basis. He said last night's storm had damaged crops ready for harvesting. Work is underway to determine the extent of the damage. Syed Golam Kibria, a senior observer at the Bogura Meteorological Office, said the cyclone started at 4 am on Saturday.
The cyclone lasted only 4 minutes and the wind speed was 88.6 km. He said that at 4:04 am, the wind speed decreased and it started raining. Gusty winds along with 36 mm of rainfall were recorded till 5:30 am.
Omar Farooq, executive engineer of sales and distribution division-2 of Northern Power Supply Company (Nesco), said the storm caused extensive damage to the power supply. In addition to the uprooting of electric poles in different places, the branches of trees have broken.
