KATHMANDU, JULY 13
The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has forecast heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of eastern and central Nepal from Monday afternoon through the night as the monsoon remains active, raising the risk of floods, landslides and inundation in vulnerable areas.
The department said Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini provinces will remain mostly cloudy throughout the day, while Karnali and Sudurpashchim provinces will experience generally cloudy conditions. Light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms is likely across most hilly, Terai and Himalayan areas of the country, with snowfall also possible in higher Himalayan regions.
Heavy rainfall is expected at a few places in the hilly districts of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces during the day. One or two locations in Madhesh Province, the Terai of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki, and the hilly and Himalayan regions of Lumbini may also receive intense downpours.
The forecast indicates the weather will remain unsettled overnight. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely at a few places in both the hilly and Terai regions of Koshi Province, while isolated heavy rain is expected in parts of Bagmati and Gandaki provinces.
According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, the country is currently under the influence of the monsoon, with the monsoon trough lying slightly north of its average position near Nepal's Terai belt, a pattern that is enhancing rainfall activity.
Among major cities, Pokhara, Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Dharan, Dhankuta, Okhaldhunga, Taplejung and Jiri have a high probability of thunderstorms and moderate rainfall, with rain chances reaching up to 80 percent during the day. The department has advised the public, particularly those living in flood- and landslide-prone areas, to remain alert as rainfall activity is expected to continue.