KATHMANDU: Several parts of Nepal have been placed under high-risk weather alerts as a weather system is expected to bring widespread and intense rainfall through Saturday, prompting authorities to step up disaster preparedness.
The Weather Forecasting Division under the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has issued a five-day special weather warning bulletin, urging the public and concerned agencies to remain highly alert Friday and Saturday as rainfall and weather-related hazards are expected to increase across various parts of the country.
According to the special bulletin issued on Friday evening, light to heavy rainfall and weather-related disasters are possible in different parts of the country from Friday night through Tuesday.
The Division has urged the public and concerned agencies to take necessary precautions and remain prepared to reduce the risk of weather-related disasters.
The impact of rainfall is expected to be more pronounced in central and eastern Nepal on Friday. Various hilly and Terai areas of Bagmati, Gandaki, Madhesh, and Koshi provinces have been placed in the high-risk category, indicated by the red alert level.
Similarly, most districts in Sudurpaschim, Karnali, and Lumbini provinces in western Nepal have been placed under alert. Some areas of southern Madhesh have also been included in the warning. No district has been placed in the green, or low-risk, category on Friday.
The risk of rainfall is expected to become more intense and widespread on Saturday. A large number of hilly and mountainous districts in Sudurpaschim, Karnali, Lumbini, Gandaki, and Bagmati provinces have been placed in the high-risk category for the day.
The Terai and hilly areas of western Nepal will remain under alert, while the risk level is expected to decrease in Koshi and Madhesh provinces in the east.
From Sunday, the weather system is expected to gradually move westward, bringing improving weather conditions to eastern Nepal. However, most hilly and mountainous areas of Sudurpaschim, Karnali, and Lumbini provinces will remain under alert.
According to the warning map issued by the Department, parts of Bagmati and Madhesh provinces and other areas of central Nepal will remain under regular monitoring, while districts in Koshi province will come out of the warning category.
From Monday, weather conditions are expected to improve significantly across most parts of the country. Only some northwestern districts of Sudurpaschim province are expected to remain under alert, while the rest of the country is likely to come out of the warning category.
The warning map issued for Tuesday indicates that all districts across the country are expected to be free of weather warnings.
As rainfall is expected to be particularly intense on Friday night and Saturday, the Division has urged people living along rivers and in landslide-prone settlements to exercise special caution.
Local administrations, security agencies, and disaster management teams in areas under the high-risk red alert have been instructed to remain on standby for emergency response and take necessary preparedness measures.
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