Snowfall may drag mercury below zero
Rain showers caused snowfall in different parts of the country over the last two days. Kathmandu Valley saw its first snow for the first time in four years with a steep dip in the mercury.
Snowflakes fell briefly in Thali and Mulpani. The hills surrounding the valley also experienced snowfall on Sunday. Nagarjun, Shankhu, Changunarayan and Chandragiri also experienced snowfall, according to the Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD). The valley got its second winter rainfall of 1.6 mm on the day.
MFD Chief Mani Ratna Shakya said the day temperature is likely to fall to freezing point (0 degree Celsius) in Kathmandu over the next few days. Gusts of cold north-westerly winds in the Himalayan and hilly regions will cause more snowfall for another couple of days there. “The sky is cloudy since Saturday, and the mercury will drop in these regions,” said Shakya. He added that this condition will last for only two or three days and the temperature will rise once the sky clears.
On Sunday, Kathmandu Valley recorded maximum and minimum day temperatures of 18.3 and 3.5 degree Celsius, respectively.
Snowfall in different places of Kaski, including Lumle, Dhampus, Pothana and Ghandruk since Saturday night came as a boon to farmers who expect a good winter harvest. There was a huge turnout of youths from Pokhara in these places on Sunday to frolic in the snow.
Ghalegaun of Lamjung received snowfall after a three-year hiatus on Sunday. Prem Bahadur Ghale said the snowfall came as a blessing for crops and tourists. Places located at higher altitudes in Lamjung also received snow.
Life in Manang has been affected due to heavy snowfall. Telephone service in the district is disrupted since Saturday. Local Development Officer Krishna Dhital said due to early snowfall this year, nearly 80 percent of the population has left the district to escape the freezing cold. All educational institutions are closed for the last month, while air service is also shut since a fortnight. Tourist arrival also decreased owing to unwelcome weather conditions.
Snowfall was also reported in Mugu, Humla, Jajarkot, Sankhuwasabha, Khotang, Dolakha, Taplejung and Tehrathum.
The Met Office has predicted that the mountainous and hilly regions will have more harsh weather for the next few days whereas Tarai districts will get respite from the cold wave after Sunday. The fog enveloping the Tarai region will also dissipate in a week. According to Shakya, rainfall in hilly regions will gradually improve the weather in the Tarai.
The first winter rainfall in the valley was experienced in the beginning of January (3.7 mm). The weather office has noted less trhan usual winter rainfall for the last few years — a trend that will continue this year also, said the Met official.
With additional reporting from our district bureaus
Cold kills one
PARSA: Cold wave killed a 32-year-old man at Tulsi Barba VDC of Parsa on Saturday night. With this, the number of cold wave deaths in the district has reached three. Excessive cold in the district has affected normal life. The number of people suffering from cold related diseases like fever, pneumonia and diarrhoea has increased in the district.
Posted on: 2011-01-17 08:18
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Abin
Shit! The note is lost. I had better avoid extemporising. ...have been told not to blab.
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