Kathmandu Valley, which had remained relatively dry till February 15 receiving just 3.2 mm of rain against the normal expected precipitation of 17.5 mm for the month, crossed the average in just one day and recorded a whopping 38.6 mm in the 24 hours to 6 P.M. Wednesday. [break]
The rainfall is the highest recorded on a single day in the month of February, beating the 25 mm received on February 4, 1987.
“I have not gone through the records of every place but the country has received its share of rain this winter,” Senior Meteorologist at the Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD) Rajendra Shrestha said. “The far western hills have seen well above average rain while the Valley also has had above average. Some places in the east may not have received average rainfall but the country has seen around average precipitation overall,” Shrestha elaborated.
Temporary relief from load-shedding
The rainfall across the country has also provided temporary relief from 14-hour daily load-shedding, with households in the capital receiving power supply for longer hours on Tuesday night and Wednesday.
“We have generated around 60-70 MW additional electricity today in comparison to Tuesday thanks to the rise in water level in rivers across the country,” chief of Load Dispatch Center Chiranjibi Sharma disclosed. The current peak demand is around 930 MW and supply would have fallen short by some 425 MW without this rainfall.
“The relief from load-shedding in the capital, however, is not due just to rain as pressure on the national grid was also reduced by problems with feeders in the Terai districts,” Sharma added.
Weather to clear from Friday
The weather across the country will clear from Friday, according to the MFD.
“The weather will start to clear from the west, with the Valley getting clear after Thursday afternoon; the weather in the east is improving by Friday morning.”
Shrestha said the rainfall is routine winter precipitation for February and may be the last this winter. “We can´t forecast 15 days ahead but we don´t see the rain returning in the next few days,” Shrestha explained.
He predicted that the days will start to get warmer in the Valley after the weather clears while morning temperature will go down for a few days. “Winter will gradually phase out in the Valley once the cold morning streak passes after the next 10 days or so,” he said.
Meanwhile, life in districts of the far west has been affected by heavy snowfall after three days of incessant rain, reports our Dipayal correspondent. Villages in Doti, Bajhang, Dadeldhura, Baitadi and other districts have been covered with snow, making transport difficult.
Locals in these districts did not go out for work and remained at home warming themselves at bonfires. Cattle also could not be taken for grazing.
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