The Bangladesh Meteorological Department on Tuesday said that a few places over Rangpur, Rajshahi, Mymensingh and Sylhet divisions would witness continued rain or thunderstorms accompanied by temporary gusty wind and lightning flashes between March 18 and 21.

Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the  biggest religious festivals of the Muslims, will be celebrated in the country on March 20 or 21 subject to the sighting of moon.

According to the BMD’s five-day forecast, one or two places over Dhaka, Khulna, Barishal and Chattogram divisions would witness hailstorms also in the period.

Meteorologist Md Omar Faruq said that rainfall was expected to be higher on March 20 and 21.

Meanwhile, nor’westers could sweep across parts of the country during those days, he said.

A separate forecast issued by the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre on Tuesday said that water levels in the Surma–Kushiyara and Dhanu–Baulai rivers in the haor basin of the country’s northeastern region were rising.

Meanwhile, the Bhugai–Kangsha rivers remained stable and all other rivers were flowing below the pre-monsoon danger level, according to the FFWC forecast issued by duty forecasting officer Emon Kalyan Das.