The monsoon that entered Nepal on June 19 has spread across the country from Tuesday, with the weather expected to deteriorate further on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the Meteorological Forecasting Division.

Meteorologists said a low-pressure system developed over the Bay of Bengal has increased the flow of moisture-laden air towards Nepal, strengthening monsoon activity and raising the likelihood of heavier rainfall across the country.

Authorities have stepped up preparedness measures as the risk of monsoon-related disasters rises, with government agencies mobilising resources for rapid response and rescue operations.

The Armed Police Force has identified highly sensitive and hard-to-reach locations across the country and established 54 temporary monsoon response bases, said Deputy Inspector General of the Armed Police Force and spokesperson Netra Bahadur Karki.

He said permanent disaster management units are already in place in 16 high-risk locations, equipped with personnel and resources for immediate deployment.

“The Armed Police Force remains on constant standby for monsoon disaster management. This year, we have set up 54 monsoon response bases in different parts of the country. Sixteen permanent bases have been in operational readiness for some time,” Karki said.

APF units, including divers and specialised rescue teams with equipment, have been deployed across vulnerable areas for post-disaster search, rescue and relief operations.

To strengthen real-time response, the APF has launched the “APF Community Alert System” mobile application. The system allows communities to report incidents directly to operational rooms at brigade level, enabling rapid mobilisation of rescue teams.

Karki said users can trigger alerts for any type of disaster, which automatically transmit location data and are received by the nearest operational unit for immediate action.

He added that a toll-free hotline service, 1114, is operational at the central level and across all brigades for citizens in distress.

The Nepali Army has also been placed on high alert, introducing a three-phase preparedness plan to minimise damage from floods, landslides and other natural disasters.

According to Nepali Army spokesperson Rajaram Basnet, the first phase focused on preparedness and planning, including review of past disaster incidents and revision of operational strategies. Joint drills such as “Haatemalo” have been conducted across units from headquarters to field levels to maintain readiness.

The second phase involves intensified pre-deployment of resources. Troops have been stationed at battalion and company levels for rapid mobilisation, while composite search and rescue teams with relief supplies have been kept ready at brigade level.

To address potential disruption of road networks due to floods and landslides, Bailey bridges have been kept on standby in Gajuri of Dhading, Bharatpur of Chitwan and Bara district. Mechanical bridges and emergency field hospitals equipped with emergency medical kits have also been prepared in Kathmandu.

For air rescue operations, helicopters have been pre-positioned in Itahari and Surkhet, while two additional helicopters remain on standby in Kathmandu for immediate deployment depending on weather conditions. Search and rescue teams have also been deployed at airports. The army recently conducted a specialised air rescue exercise at the Bagmati Dam.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority said 27 people have died in disaster-related incidents since mid-April. This includes six deaths from floods, 13 from storms, five from landslides and three from heavy rainfall.