KATHMANDU, JUNE 29
The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has issued a special monsoon warning alerting the public to a significant intensification of monsoon activity expected over the next two days, with heavy to very heavy rainfall forecast across large parts of Nepal and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) urging immediate precautionary measures against floods, landslides and debris flows.
The Special Monsoon Bulletin issued Sunday evening warned that monsoon activity will strengthen markedly on June 30 and July 1, bringing heavy rainfall at several places in Madhesh Province and the hilly and Terai areas of Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini and Sudurpaschim provinces, with very heavy rainfall possible at isolated locations.
The department attributed the intensification to a low-pressure system developing in the Bay of Bengal, which is pushing increasingly moisture-laden winds into Nepal and is expected to accelerate the monsoon's spread to parts of the country it has not yet fully covered.
Monday's 24-hour forecast reflects the building system. Generally cloudy conditions are expected nationwide throughout the day and night, with moderate rain and thundershowers likely at many places across the hilly and Himalayan regions.
Heavy rainfall is forecast tonight at one or two places in the hilly and Terai areas of Koshi and Gandaki provinces, with gusty winds also possible in parts of Madhesh and the Terai belts of Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini.
Kathmandu faces an 80 percent chance of rain with maximum temperatures of 26 to 28 degrees Celsius. Pokhara, Bhairahawa, Simara and Ghorahi face similarly high rain probability, with Taplejung and Jiri also carrying 80 and 70 percent rain probability respectively.
NDRRMA issued a public advisory Sunday urging all citizens and concerned agencies to take immediate action ahead of the intensifying rains. The authority warned of inundation risk in urban areas and the Terai, rising water levels in rivers and streams, and potential disruption to daily life, agriculture, health services, tourism, riverside construction, and road and air transport. People living near rivers, streams and flood-prone areas were specifically urged to relocate to safer ground and avoid unnecessary crossings. Local governments, security agencies and district and local-level disaster management committees have been directed to remain on standby.
The warning arrives as Nepal's monsoon, which entered the eastern parts of Koshi Province on June 19, six days behind its average onset date, has been gradually advancing westward but at a pace slower than normal. The delayed and initially weak monsoon has already pushed rice transplantation significantly behind schedule across many districts, with Lumbini Province reporting only 20.8 percent of its targeted paddy area transplanted as of Sunday.
Agriculture officials have expressed hope that the forecast intensification will accelerate planting in the days ahead, though the same rains that farmers have been waiting for now carry the risk of floods and landslides if they arrive in the volumes the meteorological department is projecting.
The department said it will continue to monitor the system closely and update forecasts regularly, urging the public to follow official weather bulletins for the latest information.