Kathmandu, June 26: Although the monsoon has entered across the country, Nepal has received less rainfall than expected, leaving total precipitation below the seasonal average.
According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM), the nationwide average rainfall recorded between June 1 and June 25 was 149 millimetres, which is 69.6 percent of the average rainfall of 214 millimetres for the same period.
The department’s data show that daily rainfall remained below 90 percent of the normal daily average throughout the period. It noted that rainfall was particularly scarce during the early days of the month. Although conditions improved somewhat in recent days, rainfall has still not returned to normal levels.
Meteorologist David Dhakal said the rainfall deficit is mainly due to the delayed onset of the monsoon, which entered Nepal later than its average arrival date, and its weak activity during the initial phase. He warned that the weak monsoon could adversely affect paddy transplantation, water resource management, and drinking water supply.
The monsoon has not yet spread across the entire country. According to Dhakal, the monsoon system has so far extended only to parts of five provinces and remains weak, meaning it may take several more days to reach the remaining areas.
The department has projected that Nepal will receive below-average rainfall and experience higher-than-normal temperatures during this year’s monsoon season.
According to DHM meteorologist Sudarshan Humagain, most parts of the country are likely to receive less rainfall than normal during the upcoming monsoon season. The department estimates a 55 to 65 percent probability of below-average rainfall this year in the southern parts of Karnali Province, most areas of Lumbini Province, the eastern parts of Madhesh Province, and the southern parts of Koshi Province.
People’s News Monitoring Service.
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