The lull in monsoon rains for the past few days was broken with rainfall occurring in some places beginning Friday and spreading to most parts of the country on Saturday.

The rainfall is expected to continue for a couple of days more, the weather office said.

According to a three-day weather forecast issued by the Meteorological Forecasting Division, the rainfall is likely to occur till Monday, although its intensity will vary in different places.

On Sunday, some parts of the country will receive light to moderate rainfall, with heavy rains and thunderstorms predicted in a few places of Province 1 and Bagmati Province.

Parts of Province 2 are also likely to witness heavy rainfall on Sunday night.

Likewise, light to moderate rainfall is on the forecast for some places on Monday afternoon. Parts of Province 1, Province 2, Bagmati Province and Gandaki Province will see light to moderate rainfall through the afternoon into the night.

A couple of places in Province 1 will be battered by heavy rainfall by Monday night, according to the forecast.

Rains will also reach a few places in Lumbini, Karnali, and Sudurpaschim provinces.

As the monsoon trough is placed near the southern region of the country, monsoon winds have impacted most parts of the country, resulting in overcast conditions and rainfall, meteorologists say.

“The rainfall and overcast conditions at present are due to a low-pressure system formed in the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states of India. Many parts of the country have received rainfall since Friday as a result,” Manju Basi, a meteorologist with the division, told the Post. “The impact has been significant in Province 2 and Bagmati Province whereas minor effects have been felt in Province 1, Province 2, Gandaki Province and Lumbini Province.”

As per the weather prediction of the Meteorological Forecasting Division, the country is experiencing generally to mostly cloudy weather and light to moderate rain, which is likely to continue in many parts of the country till at least Monday.

Generally cloudy means 51 percent to 75 percent sky covered by cloud whereas mostly cloudy leaves 76 percent to 88 percent sky covered by cloud.

Of the 215 rainfall stations operated by the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology in different parts of the country, 172 recorded precipitation between Friday 8:45 am and Saturday 8:45 am. Among these stations, the one at Chandragadi Airport in Jhapa district recorded the highest 153.4mm rain.

Considering the ongoing precipitation spell, the three-day weather forecast also included a warning that the rains could lead to landslides and debris flow in hilly areas and water level rising in rivers and streams, which could disrupt road networks.

Water level had risen up in rivers of Kathmandu Valley on Saturday afternoon, following heavy rains since Friday night.

The weather office has asked the people residing on hillsides and close to rivers to stay alert.

“Even moderate rainfall, if it continues for a whole day or several hours, can lead to landslides, debris flows and blocking of roads,” said Basi.

The country has already suffered monsoon-related devastations when several parts of the country were battered by heavy rainfall, unleashing floods and landslides, mainly in the hill districts.

The most devastating impact of this year’s monsoon was in Melamchi Municipality and surrounding areas of Sindhupalchok district after a massive landslide blocked the river upstream before triggering a sudden release of river water.

As per the incident report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, between June 12 and June 24 unprecedented floods and landslides in the mountain regions and debris flow in Melamchi and Indrawati rivers and floods in the upstream reaches of the Marsyangdi river led to the displacement of 867 families. The disaster destroyed 414 houses and damaged 97.

The report, which recorded damages of floods and landslides in Sindhupalchok, Manang and Lamjung districts, says five people were killed in Sindhupalchok while 20 others are still missing. In Sindhupalchok, 525 families have been displaced, followed by 235 families in Manang and 197 families in Lamjung, according to the report.

Similarly, 12 hydropower stations were hit in Lamjung, affecting electricity supplies in the district.

The monsoon-induced disasters have also disrupted road connectivity in Sindhupalchok, Manang and Lamjung.

According to the authority’s assessment, road connectivity to Helambu Municipality in Sindhupalchok has been disrupted while 65 km road—35km in Lamjung and 30km in Manang—linking these two districts have been damaged, which has hindered relief distribution works.

Meteorologists say there is still a chance of rainfall in the coming days, so the public need to be alert.

This monsoon season, the country is set to receive ‘above normal’ rain, which could potentially cause floods and landslides in many parts of the country.

“It may seem like the current weather system is weakening from Saturday night, but it doesn’t mean there will not be rainfall as rain does occur throughout the monsoon season,” said Basi. “The low-pressure system will vanish and the intensity of rainfall is likely to go down slowly.”