Scientists say climate change is one reason for early rains that brought major floods to Bangladesh and northeastern India.Flooding usually takes place later in the year with rain brought in by strong winds called monsoons.This year's heavy rainfall came as early as March.It may take a long time to understand how much climate change played a part in the floods.But scientists say that climate change has made monsoons unpredictable over the past 10 or 20 years.This means that much of the rain expected to fall in a year is arriving in only a few weeks.The northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya received nearly three times its average June rainfall in just the first three weeks of the month.Neighboring Assam received double its monthly average in the same period.Several rivers flow from the two states into the Bay of Bengal in Bangladesh.Bangladesh's Flood Forecast and Warning Center warned recently that water levels would remain dangerously high in the country's northern areas.
