By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Feb. 6: Weather changed across the country on Friday due to the influence of westerly wind.
There will be partial to moderate rainfall in most parts of the country from Friday to Saturday, predicted the meteorologists.
Normal life across the country was affected by rainfall in the hilly areas and snowfall in the mountainous districts, they said.
According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division under the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM), the weather has changed across the country including in the hilly areas of Gandaki and Bagmati provinces, causing light to moderate rainfall.
Senior Meteorologist Min Kumar Aryal said that there was a possibility of light to moderate rainfall in eastern and central parts of the country by Saturday and the weather would gradually be cleared from the west. However, the weather in Kathmandu Valley will be cleared only from Sunday, he added.
According to Aryal, the light rainfall will help clear the atmospheric pollutants in the Kathmandu Valley. "There is no possibility of heavy rains as the westerly wind is active. There will be only light to moderate rainfall, Aryal said.
Nirajan Sapkota, a meteorologist at the DHM, said that snow had fallen in high mountainous regions and there was a possibility of light to moderate rainfall in the eastern and central parts of the country.
The effect of the system will last until Saturday evening and the weather will be clear from Sunday, Sapkota said. Currently, there is normal cloud cover in Far West, Karnali, Gandaki and Lumbini provinces and partial cloud cover in Bagmati province.
It is said that there is a possibility of light rainfall in most parts of the hilly areas of Far West, Karnali, Lumbini and Bagmati provinces and in some areas of Province No. 1.
In Bajhang, farmers have felt relieved with the snowfall in the upper part of the district. The snowfall that occurred after a long gap irrigated the crops planted in the region.
However, the snowfall affected normal life in the mountains. People have been confined to their houses due to shivering cold. Schools have also been closed after the snowfall.
Meanwhile, in Bajura, snowfall started on Thursday night. Life has been affected due to heavy snowfall in different parts of the district including Swamikartik, Himali, Jagannath, Budhinanda, Chhededaha, Triveni, Budhiganga and Badimalika municipalities in the northeastern region. More than half a foot of snow has piled on the ground and the snowfall is in progress, according to our Bajhang Correspondent. Heavy fog has also made it difficult for people to get from one place to another.
Dolpa also received snow on Friday. Human settlements in areas like Dho, Saldang, Charka, Foksundo, Pahada, Liku, Hum, Rimi, Kaigaun, Majhaphal, Kaike, Rah, Sarmi, Hort, Oct, Tinje, Bijer, Thala and Tipla are buried under the snow, according to our correspondent Bishnu Lal Budha.
Similarly, Humla has received snowfall for the third time this year. Heavy fog and snowfall have started since Friday morning. The temperature has dropped to below zero during the day due to snowfall, according to our Humla correspondent Rajan Rawat.
However, schools remained opened there.
Meanwhile, Kalinchowk, a popular religious site in Dolakha received the first snow of the year on Friday. According to our correspondent Kailash Lama Sailung, Kharidhuga and other high hills also received snow.
According to the latest details of the Weather Forecast Division, the minimum temperature in Kathmandu Valley on Friday was 3.5 degrees Celsius and the maximum was 20.0 degrees Celsius.
The lowest temperature was measured in Jiri at minus 1 Degree Celsius followed by Jumla (0.5 Degree Celsius ) and Jomsom (1.5).