Dhaka, Nov. 2 -- Unusually heavy rains have lashed Bangladesh over the past three days, flooding vast stretches of farmland with ripening rice and vegetables and setting new records for November rainfall.

The deluge, triggered by the remnants of Cyclone Montha that made landfall in India's Andhra Pradesh on Oct 28, swept first through the country's north before soaking its central districts.

According to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD), Tangail recorded 164mm of rain in the 24 hours to 6am on Nov 2 -- the highest single-day rainfall in November since records began in 1987. The previous record, 87mm, was set on Nov 16, 2007.

"So much rain is rare in November," said meteorologist Tariful Newaz Kabir.

The remnant of Montha...