Kathmandu, September 11

The Meteorological Forecasting Division has predicted active monsoon conditions throughout the country for the next few days.

A meteorological analysis issued by the MFD today said the axis of the monsoon trough situated over the eastern part of the country was a bit lower than its average position, and was likely to trigger moderate to heavy rainfall, along with thunder and lightning. “Furthermore, monsoon low pressure areas developed over the Bay of Bengal coupled with humid winds are feeding moisture to parts of Nepal. These conditions will continue until Friday,” the MFD said.

In South Asian countries, including Nepal, the monsoon picks up more moisture from the Bay of Bengal. As there is high risk of landslides, the MFD has appealed to those travelling in hills or living in landslide-prone areas to stay on high alert. An advisory published by the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology on its website said monsoon rain would lash a few parts of the country in the next 24 hours and warned against the risk of flash floods in rivers with rising water level.

“There are chances of flash floods in the Kankaki, Koshi, Kamala, Bagmati, Narayani, West Rapti, Babai and other major rivers, and in the rivers traversing through Provinces 1 and 2 for the next three days,” the advisory said. It has also alerted against possible disruption of roads and air transports in hilly regions. The DHM issues flood forecast bulletin at 7:00am every day. Under special circumstances, it may issue alert warning at any time. The DHM said flood and weather forecast was provided to National Emergency Operation Centre under the Ministry of Home Affairs, before publishing it on the website. The forecast is circulated to all the ministries, departments, Nepal Red Cross Society and organisations working on disaster risk management, besides publishing it on social media.

If water level of rivers reach or is likely to reach the red mark, general public of the concerned areas will be alerted through SMS by Nepal Telecom and Ncell, according to DHM. Nepal receives an average of 80 per cent of annual rainfall during the monsoon, which originates from the Bay of Bengal and moves along the southern flanks of the Himalayas, bringing rains to Nepal. Average annual rainfall in Nepal is 1,600 mm, but it varies from place to place depending on climatic conditions.