Cyclone Amphan, the strongest storm ever recorded in the Bay of Bengal, will leave disturbance in Nepal’s weather at least until Friday, according to the country’s weather office.

The Meteorological Forecasting Division, under the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, has said that the cyclone, which made landfall in West Bengal of India on Wednesday afternoon, hitting coastal areas, will have a general impact on Nepal’s weather condition.

Min Kumar Aryal, a meteorologist at the weather office, told the Post that a partial and indirect impact of the cyclone wouldß be witnessed in the central and eastern regions of the country in the form of rainfall and overcast conditions.

“The Wednesday night rainfall, which was light to moderate, across the eastern parts of the country was the effect of the cyclone,” said Aryal. “Also, rainfall in Makawanpur district of the central region was also because of the cyclone.”

Cyclone Amphan, which wreaked havoc along the coastal areas of India and Bangladesh, left behind a trail of destruction. The strongest storm in decades damaged houses, uprooted trees and killed at least more than a dozen people in Indian states of West Bengal and Odisha. Roads, airports and areas were seen flooded. Nearly three million people were evacuated from both countries and thousands have turned homeless.

According to UNICEF, at least 19 million children from India and Bangladesh are at “imminent risk” from flash flooding and heavy rain triggered by Cyclone Amphan.

In Nepal, the weather office, on Wednesday evening, predicted that although the country would not face the direct impact of the cyclone, the indirect effect would be felt in Province 1, Province 2 and Bagmati Province for the next two or three days. In a press statement, the department said some places of these provinces would receive rainfall and high mountain regions would see snowfall.

“The eastern region could feel the impact as it is closer to the Bay of Bengal,” said Aryal. “Our country received an indirect impact because the wind that entered here came out of the outer band of the cyclone. The speed of the wind was not high either. But it did cause weatherly disturbances.”

According to the press statement, a few streams in the hilly and mountain region of Province 1 would see a rise in water flow with potential flash floods. Likewise, a few rivers flowing through Tarai districts of Province 1 and Province 2 would also see a surge in water flow, said the statement.

But Aryal said the impact of the storm has gone weaker after the storm made the landfall and that it is moving far from Nepal’s territory.

The eastern and central areas will still witness disturbances in the weather. While the central region will remain generally cloudy, the eastern part will remain mostly cloudy with chances of light to moderate rainfall. Some areas in eastern mountain region can see snowfall as well, according to the prediction.

“The wind which is blowing 7-8km up in the atmosphere, without being blocked by Mahabharat range, can reach the Himalayan area and can cause snowfall,” said Aryal.