Kathmandu, August 31

Kathmandu Valley witnessed a sudden thundershower last night due to formation of low pressure area, according to Meteorological Forecasting Division.

Meteorologist Barun Paudel at MFD said monsoon brought short bursts of heavy rain after which the weather became clear, but last night’s thundershower was different.

Due to intense rainfall houses in Bafal area were inundated. Bafal-based Gyanodaya Secondary School remained shut today as classrooms were inundated. Similarly, areas near Nakhkhu Khola in Lalitpur were submerged in water.

“Unlike pre-monsoon period, cumulonimbus clouds formed in a very short time which led to heavy thundershower in Kathmandu Valley yesterday,” said Paudel, adding, “There is no possibility of heavy thunderstorms for next three days, but mid-hill areas of the country may continue to receive light to moderate rainfall.” The thundershower which began at 11:00 pm last night continued for two-and-a-half hours.

Cumulonimbus is a dense towering vertical cloud associated with thunderstorms and atmospheric instability, forming from water vapor carried by powerful upward air currents.  If observed during a storm, these clouds may be referred to as thunderheads. Cumulonimbus can form alone, in clusters, or along cold front squall lines. These clouds are capable of producing lightning and severe weather.

MFD said weather conditions were improving. It said that though the monsoon trough was currently situated in southern India, monsoon was becoming active due to moisture from the Bay of Bengal.

Apart from Kathmandu Valley, eastern parts of the country also received heavy rainfall last night . MFD recorded 55.2 mm rainfall in Kathmandu in past 24 hours whereas Taplejung received 86.7 mm, Dipayal 10.8 mm, Dadeldhura 1.5 mm, Dhangadi 1.2 mm, Birendranagar 4.5 mm, Jumla 3.2 mm, Pokhara 9.3 mm, Simara 2 mm, Okhaldhunga 13.5 mm, Dharan 2.9 mm, Lumle 30.8 mm and Jiri 7.8 mm.

Meanwhile, a body of an unidentified man, who appeared to be in his mid-thirties, was found near VS Niketan School on the banks of the Bagmati River in Kathmandu this morning.