KATHMANDU, Nov 11: Waves of westerly winds that started blowing in Nepal after the end of the monsoon period have brought colder climatic condition across the country, heralding a full-fledge winter in the coming days.
The chilly westerly winds have brought down both the maximum and minimum temperature across the country, making mornings and nights colder, according to the Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD), a division under the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM).
The months of October and November are post-monsoon period, marking the end of easterly winds that bring rain in the country. In this post-monsoon period, rains are very rare. Westerly winds, which are now active, do not carry moisture, but are colder, said Barun Paudel, a meteorologist at the MFD, explaining the reason for colder weather at present.
No rainfall has been recorded in Kathmandu Valley as of now, but some hilly districts of the eastern part of the country have experienced light rainfall.
“We can definitely say that winter is starting, though full-fledged winter begins only from December,” he said.
The maximum temperature in Kathmandu Valley has dropped to around 23 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature has dropped to about 7 degrees Celsius,” said meteorologist Paudel, adding that the minimum temperatures in places like Jumla, Jomsom, Taplejung and Jiri are already subzero.
Snowfalls, cold waves, and dense fogs can be expected in the upcoming winter, said meteorologist Paudel. Various hilly and mountainous regions in the western and far-western regions, such as Dadeldhura, Jumla, Mugu and Dolpa among other places will experience snowfall.
Likewise, cold waves can potentially affect areas in the Tarai belt, he further added. During cold waves, dense fogs can last up to 25 days, fully covering the sun and making the weather unbearably cold. It also leads to zero visibility throughout the day.
Cold waves have been killing a number of people, especially children and elderly, every year in the country.
Winter wardrobe
