The changing nature of nor\'westers

The first major tornado of the year struck parts of the country on April 30. It's a regular occurrence visiting the country during its summer spanning April-May. Traditionally known as Kalboishakhi, or nor'wester, the tropical storm this year came late. It has caused worries among the environmentalists. Normally, the storm begins striking the country from mid-March. Decades ago, nor'westers' ferocity used to be experienced in the very first week of the Bangla month of Baishakh, which is counted from April 14.
This year's belated arrival of the season of summer-storms stands in contrast with the early onslaught of flash floods and rains. The latter have wrought havoc with seasonal crops and normal life in the country's north and northeastern regions. Nature in the country has been behaving in a weird manner these days. As part of this, the arrivals, duration and departures of seasons have undergone spells of change --- all to the worries of environmental activists. These erratic trends in the manifestations of nature have prompted both scientists and the conscious people to brace for a rise in the frequency of natural calamities. Distressingly enough, the process has already begun. Few weather-conscious people can remain unfazed over the untimely arrivals of the monsoon rains in the country. A continuation of this seasonal pattern is feared to take a toll on the country's crop harvests. To the farmers' delight, the last few years have witnessed satisfactory yields of rice and other major crops. A normal behaviour of nature has largely made this possible. The troubling deviation that has occurred this year might lead the farmers to prepare for further disasters in the future.
That the season of summer-storms this year has made its onset later than the normal period is not unique to the year. Nor'westers in Bangladesh have for long been following this pattern. Climatologists readily point the finger at the impact of global warming, especially the El Nino impact. This impact caused by the warming of water in the Pacific Ocean has been feared to cause drought-like condition in the country. As part of an unwelcome development, there will be a drastic decline in rainfall --- a situation that does not go with full-blown nor'westers. No matter whether the intensity of April-May storms increases or not, their abrupt onslaughts traditionally accompany the potential for triggering loss of human lives and properties. The storm that hit a few districts on April 30 took a number of lives. The damages to dwellings, crops and orchards are normal features during Bangladesh nor'westers.
The change in the pattern of the country's summer-storms does not bode well. In a couple of consecutive seasons in the immediate past, nor'westers were found lashing out at scores of villages. The destructive power and frequency of those storms puzzled many during that period. That intensity has eventually fizzled out in the following years. Like the seasonal floods, these typical storms have emerged as something defying the rules of natural science. They may have stopped demonstrating their destructive power. Yet given the increasingly erratic behaviour of nature, one cannot rule out the onslaughts of nor'westers.  This is where the elements of dread and fear keep lurking. Due to their becoming part of a regular seasonal cycle, natural disasters lose much of their destructiveness. But like many other countries, Bangladesh, too, now finds itself in the midst of pranks occasionally played by nature. Thanks to their changing nature, nor'westers will most likely be different from those in the past. These storms thus warrant the imperative of precautions in accordance with their unforeseen destructive power.
[email protected]