By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Jan. 21: People in the Kathmandu felt colder on Thursday. Many of the denizens were seen making fires near their houses and shops to keep themselves warm all day. It remained cloudy throughout the day and some areas of the capital received light rains in the afternoon.

According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM), many parts of the country witnessed light to moderate rainfall, while hilly and mountainous districts received light to moderate snowfall from Thursday morning.
The Department has predicted light to moderate rainfall in Kathmandu also on Friday afternoon.

Most parts of the country are receiving light rainfall due to the influence of westerly winds, said Shanta Kandel, senior meteorologist at the DHM.
According to the DHM, Friday will remain partly to generally cloudy throughout the country. Light rainfall is likely to occur at one or two places in Province 1, Bagmati Province, Gandaki Province, Karnali Province, Sudur Paschim Province on Thursday night and Friday. It also predicted chances of light snowfall in some places in the high mountainous region.

Kandel said that light rain was expected in a few places in the hilly region and light snowfall is possible in some places in the high hills and mountains.

“The current weather system will improve from Friday as the current disturbance will be weakening but another system will start again, so there is no possibility of full improvement in the weather patterns anytime soon,” she added. There will be light rainfall in the Kathmandu Valley on Friday afternoon as well, she added.

There is a possibility of light rain in some parts of every province and light snowfall in some places in the high hills and mountains of the country, she added.
But she said cold wave has not occurred in the Terai.
“We have not declared a cold wave in the Terai region but there is dense fog in the morning and evening,” she said.

The DHM has also requested people to take necessary precautions to avoid the cold and its effects as the cold is still on the rise across the country.
According to the latest details, the minimum temperature in the Kathmandu Valley on Thursday was at 7.6 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature was at 18.4 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature in Jumla was 1.4 degrees Celsius while the maximum temperature in Dipayal was 22.2 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, Humla has recorded its seventh snowfall of the year. Simkot, Limi, Hilsa, Nara, Yari, Chala and Nyalu have been blanketed in a thick layer of snow that began falling from Thursday morning.
This has caused the mercury to dip and according to our Humla correspondent, people could be seen huddled around fires all day.
The temperature in the district hovered around -7 degrees Celsius.