By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, May 28: The Meteorological Forecasting Division has predicted thundershower accompanied by lightning, gusty winds and hailstorms throughout the country, except for western Terai, for the next three days.
According to Meteorologist Sajana Shakya, the local low-pressure area formed in the country and moisture-laden air originating from the Bay of Bengal is likely to bring thundershower and hailstorm throughout the country in upcoming days.
She said there was the possibility of rain along with thunder, lightning and high winds taking place across the country, mostly in the central and eastern parts.
However, the weather was not caused by the influence of Amphan, a super cyclone that hit West Bengal and Bangladesh few days back.
She said it was a normal phenomenon caused by local weather condition and the effect of cumulonimbus clouds during pre-monsoon activity, which has picked up in some parts of the country.
Shakya said this is pre-monsoon and the pre-monsoon period runs for three months: March, April and May and is characterised by sunny days and brief thundershowers during afternoons and evenings.
This is pre-monsoon and the arrival of pre-monsoon is caused by the impact of local winds which is met by westerly winds, she said.
“A rise in temperature also fueled impact of local winds and, furthermore, this time the westerly wind seems quite strong compared to the previous years,” said Shakya.
Likewise, the several parts of Kathmandu Valley have witnessed rain containing visible concentration of particles of sand and dust.
The locals of Budhanilkantha and Swoyambhu have claimed that they had witnessed muddy and white rainfall, leaving them surprised.
Commenting on this, Meteorologist Shakya said the department was unaware about the incident.

She believed that the muddy rain might have been caused by westerly wind carrying dust while travelling through the country.
“Kathmandu witnessing muddy rainfall is quite unusual at a time when the eastern and central region of the country has been witnessing active pre-monsoon rain. And furthermore the whole country is also under a strict lockdown. In such condition it is rare to witness muddy rain,” said Senior Meteorologist Rajendra Shrestha.
However, if it happened, then either it was caused by some local developments or dust particles from Rajasthan and other deserts of India or Pakistan might have mixed with the vapour and moved towards Nepal through the western part of the country, where the pre-monsoon is not active yet, he said.
As raindrops fall from the sky, they can collect dust particles and they fall and once they make contact with objects on the surface and eventually evaporate, they leave behind the dust, he added.
He, however, said he was unknown about the white rainfall that happened in the western part of the Kathmandu Valley.