Severe thunderstorms will threaten life and property this week in a small,albeit significant, swath of South Asia.The at-risk area will center upon Bangladesh and the nearby northeast of India,perhaps reaching into northern Myanmar.
Excessive heat persisting over the Indian Subcontinent together with moisturestreaming off the Bay of Bengal will prime the atmosphere for daily scatteredthunderstorms, a few of them severe, in the above area.
On Monday, for instance, a late-day outbreak of strong thunderstorms struckwestern Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal.
Thunderstorms that strike this corner of the Subcontinent during April and Mayare known for their capability of unleashing flooding rain, damaging winds,large hail and even tornadoes. Coverage of their severe weather is usually lowand localized, unlike that of tropical cyclones.
In light of the population and building practices of the region, the worst ofthese storms have historically caused major loss of life and property. Newsreports in the aftermath of such storms have often labeled them "cyclones,""cyclonic storms" as well as tornadoes, even though none of these apply.
Story by AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologists Dave Samuhel and Jim Andrews.
