By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Feb. 7: The Kathmandu Valley received its first winter rainfall of the year on Saturday.
Along with the valley, most areas of the country witnessed light to moderate rainfall and snowfall by Saturday evening. Kathmandu received only 1.2 millimeter rainfall during the day.
According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division under the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM), light rain and snowfall occurred in different parts of the country.
There has been light rainfall in some parts of western Nepal and light snowfall in the highlands while the mountains received heavy snowfall because of the influence of westerly wind, it said.
The DHM had predicted possibility of light rain in many places of Province 1, Province 2, Bagmati and Gandaki. Lumle in Gandaki Province received 5.7 mm rainfall, the highest across the country on Saturday while Jumla in Kanali Province received 3.9 mm rainfall, the second highest.
Bagmati Province received light to moderate rainfall on Saturday and the weather would be clear from Sunday morning, it said.
The surrounding hills of the valley, like Phulchoki, Chandragiri and Bhattedanda and Daman of Makwanpur district received snowfall, said Meteorologist at DHM Sajina Shakya.
Mountainous areas like Karnali, Sudurpaschim and Gandaki provinces have been receiving snowfall since Friday.
“The western part of the country will be generally cloudy and the rest of the country will be clear from Saturday afternoon. However, the mountain region is expected to witness heavy to moderate snowfall for a few more days,” the DHM said.
According to Shakya, the weather will be clear across the country from Sunday morning.
“There will be light rain tonight in some places of Provinces 1 and 2, Bagmati and Gandaki while light snowfall is expected in some places in the high hills and mountains of Province 1, Bagmati and Gandaki,” Shakya added.
There is a possibility of thunder and lightning in the high hilly regions of Lumbini province and eastward, Shakya said. She requested to the general public to stay indoors as thunderstorms along with normal rainfall were likely in the area.
She informed that there was no possibility of immediate storm in Nepal even though black cloud was seen.