A depression in the Bay of Bengal has prompted the Bangladesh Met office to sound alarm for its maritime ports. The ports in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Mongla and Payra have been advised to hoist cautionary signal No. 3. The low, over west-central Bay and adjoining northwest Bay off India’s Odisha coast, crossed Puri around 3am on Wednesday, according to a special weather bulletin. It has now turned into a land depression and lies over the region. It’s likely to move further northwest and weaken, said the Met office. Meteorologist Md Bazlur Rashid said squally weather caused by the depression may affect the maritime ports and coastal areas of Bangladesh. All fishing boats and trawlers over the North Bay and deep-sea have been advised to stay close to the coast and proceed with caution until further notice. The Met office forecast light to moderate rains and thunderstorms coupled with squally winds in most places of Dhaka, Mymensingh, Rajshahi, Rangpur, Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong and Sylhet Divisions in the 24 ours. It said the mild heatwave, sweeping over Rangpur and parts of Rajshahi and Pabna, may decrease.