Kathmandu, December 26:

Rainy hours this afternoon considerably dropped the maximum temperature of the day, making this afternoon the chilliest of the season with mercury dropping down five degrees Celsius to that of yesterday.

The maximum temperature was 22.6 yesterday, with a bright and sunny afternoon. But with a dramatic change in weather with rain and cloud, the temperature dropped down to 16.6 degrees Celsius, the lowest recorded in the capital this winter.

Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD) said the impact was triggered by the western disturbance which results to snowfall, rainfall and cloudiness during the winter days. “But it is not a great change in the weather system, such activities are expected in the season,” said Suman Kumar Regmi, forecaster, MFD. But the disturbance does not remain constant as it comes and goes making the weather varying and bizarre, he said.

“It is likely that the capital will see a sunny day tomorrow, but snowfall is likely in some hilly areas,” he said. The minimum temperature this morning was recorded eight degrees Celsius and the MFD has made a forecast that it would drop down to two to four degrees Celsius tomorrow morning.

Winter prevails for three months from December to February. The western disturbance may impact the weather system around three to nine times each winter. According to MFD there would be more disturbances in the coming days, today being the first of the season.

The weather pattern of the winter changes very often, constituting a great fluctuation in the maximum temperature. The MFD has forecasted a partly cloudy night in the hilly regions tonight with a possibility of light and brief rain at one or two places.