TITLE:
Understanding Thunderstorm Patterns and Risk from It by Investigating Thunderstorms Causalities of Bangladesh in 2018
AUTHORS:
Md. Nazrul Islam, Md. Shahedur Rashid, Abdur Rahim Mozomdar
KEYWORDS:
Thunderstorm, GIS, Meteorology, Lightning
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.12 No.12,
December
16,
2025
ABSTRACT: The changing perspective of climate causes the increasing of natural disasters all over the world. The calamity of thunderstorms is also a consequence of these global alterations. Thunderstorms are more frequent in countries of tropical regions. People of Bangladesh are significantly vulnerable to such kind of natural disaster due to their geographical location and their daily activities. It occurs scatteredly and causes numerous fatalities across the country. Therefore, it is essential to understand the patterns and frequencies of thunderstorm occurrence to mitigate the risk from it. This is why this study aims to identify and map thunderstorm incidence in Bangladesh with investigating climatic factors and relevant reasons in 2018. Information about the weather, like gusty and squall winds, temperature, and cloud cover, was collected from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), and secondary data on deaths and injuries caused by thunderstorms was gathered from national newspapers. The result indicates there were 136 deaths in 2018, with the most deaths in Sylhet Division because of its geography and climate, which make it more likely to have convective activity. May recorded the most thunderstorms during the pre-monsoon season, known for its high temperatures and humidity. Most of the fatalities occurred between late morning and early afternoon, when most of them were farmers and fishermen who worked outside. Northwesterly squall winds, high temperatures before the occurrence, and a lot of cloud cover all contributed to the thunderstorm occurrence. The results will help to improve early warning systems and community-level disaster preparedness.