LOCAL NEWS THE RISING NEPAL (DAILY)

After heavy rains, unusual downpour
Monsoon will be over from Sunday

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Sept. 19: The clear blue sky and the stoppage of rains in the last few days have indicated the end of monsoon. According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, this year’s monsoon will be over from September 23.

According to Mrs. Mandira Rajbahak, senior meteorologist, this year’s monsoon was weak because the monsoon trough (the collection of monsoon clouds) remained oblique with its inclination either towards the east or the west. This led to heavy rainfall in some parts while other parts witnessed a draught-like condition.

For a good monsoon in Nepal, the western disturbances and the monsoon trough should remain active and should complement each other. This year they were less than active and also not in the right position leading to a weak monsoon, she said.

However, the country witnessed comparatively longer rainy period this year with unusual and rather early pre-monsoon throughout the country.

According to the Department, the intense pre-monsoon activity that started from the second week of May led to torrential rains, thunderstorms, hailstorms and strong gales causing a lot of damages to the standing crops, houses and disruption of electricity and communication in different parts of the country.

The human toll of the rains was one person in Tehrathum, lost in floods, and three persons were killed by lightening, one in Makawanpur and two in Mahendranagar. Meanwhile, the frequent downpour and the overcast sky caused the temperature remain lower than normal in most parts of Terai.

The pre-monsoon shower was almost 200 per cent of the normal in many parts of the country, with Bhairahawa witnessing three times the normal precipitation.

This year the country experienced its first monsoon rain on June 3, which was one whole week earlier than the normal onset date. But because of the western inclination of the monsoon trough, rainfall in June exceeded the normal limit in Western Region with areas like Dadeldhura, Dhangadhi, Surkhet, Nepalgunj, Jumla experiencing 200 per cent or more rainfall in the month. Dhangadhi got 525 mm of rainfall, which was more than 200 per cent of the average annual. The rains caused big landslides, with Sankhuwasabha and Dhading being the most affected districts claiming 46 lives and a big loss of properties. Twenty-two others were also killed by thunderstorms at different places of the country. The heavy rains also caused the maximum temperature below normal by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius in the Western Terai.

Although this year’s monsoon started early, its effect was mild till the second week of July in the Western and Central region and persisted weak in the eastern region till the last week of the month.

According to the Department, scanty rain in the eastern region affected the crops adversely. Only the last week of July saw some revival of the rain throughout the country, still it was more active and vigorous over the central region and several other parts of western region. The incessant rain led to serious floods and landslides, taking 33 human lives and many livestock. In most parts of the country the rain was below normal with the eastern districts being the most affected.

The most affected areas were Dhankuta and Biratnagar, where only 40 per cent of the normal rain was recorded. The above normal rainfall recorded at only in some areas of central, western and far-western Terai. In July, Kathmandu recorded about 500 mm of rain, which was 42 per cent above normal. The below normal rainfall also affected the temperature with normal or above normal temperature noted in eastern region.

Meanwhile, the northward movement of the seasonal monsoon trough caused the slackness of monsoon’s effect in the mid-western and far-western region of the country and revival of rains in the western, central and eastern part of the country. Parts like Okhaldhunga, Taplejung, Dhankuta and Biratnagar, which were witnessing below normal rains in the earlier months, got normal or above normal rain

Pokhara got a record of 1521mm rainfall with the 24 hours extreme of 357 mm in the last 32 years. The heavy rainfall caused big floods and landslides at many places taking the toll of 50 lives and many livestock with disruption of roads and communication. According to the Department, 10 districts of the mid-western, central and eastern region were the worst affected.

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