Heavy Rain and Mountain Snowstorms Forecast to Hit All Seven Provinces of Nep
Nepal is bracing for widespread rain, mountain snowfall, and potential avalanches from Thursday through Saturday, October 31, as the remnants of Cyclone Arnab move inland after making landfall along India’s Andhra Pradesh and Yanam coast. Although the cyclone has steadily weakened from an extremely severe cyclonic storm to a deep depression, meteorologists at the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology’s Weather Forecasting Division warn that the system continues to carry substantial atmospheric moisture. High-level clouds have already begun covering Nepalese skies, with weather effects expected to intensify and bring moderate to heavy precipitation, thunder, lightning, and hail across Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpaschim provinces. Senior meteorologists note that the interaction between moisture-laden air and upper-atmosphere currents poses severe risks to high-altitude regions, where heavy snowfall, snowstorms, and avalanches could occur. In response to these hazardous conditions, authorities have issued urgent public advisories targeting tourists, mountain trekkers, and agricultural communities. Trekkers have been strictly advised to suspend mountain expeditions, while those currently in high-elevation areas are urged to seek immediate shelter in safer locations. Simultaneously, the division has called on farmers to protect harvested paddy crops until early November. Authorities have also warned the general public and relevant disaster relief agencies to prepare for sharp temperature drops, potential landslides along vulnerable hillside roads, and disruptions to both road and air transportation across the country, while confirming that official weather monitoring remains active.
