14 hrs ago
Heavy Rain Raises Flash-Flood Risk Across Western Nepal
Heavy rain fell in parts of western Nepal on Wednesday.
In one place, more than 84 millimetres of rain fell in just three hours.
Officials warned that small rivers could rise quickly and flood nearby areas.
Several districts were told they faced a moderate risk of sudden floods.
More rain and thunderstorms may happen through Friday.
The weather is expected to get better gradually from Saturday.
Nepal is also still dealing with damage from earlier floods and landslides.
Those disasters affected many families, damaged homes and bridges, and led to evacuations.
Heavy rain on Wednesday prompted flood warnings for small rivers in several western Nepal districts.
The Simalpani measurement centre in Arghakhanchi recorded 84.4 mm of rain in three hours.
Authorities warned of moderate flash-flood risk across districts including Darchula, Banke, Kailali and Kanchanpur.
Rain, thunderstorms and lightning may continue through Friday, with gradual improvement expected from Saturday.
The alerts came as Nepal continues coping with earlier floods and landslides that caused deaths, damage and displacement.
- Who
- Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology issued the warnings.
- What
- Heavy rain triggered warnings about rising river levels and possible flash floods.
- Where
- Western Nepal, including Arghakhanchi, Banke and Bardiya, with alerts covering several other districts.
- When
- Wednesday; unsettled weather was expected to continue through Friday.
- Why
- Heavy rainfall could rapidly raise water levels in small rivers and cause sudden flooding.
Risk Reduction
Implementation Challenges
Plans to drain four glacial lakes
Risk Reduction
Officials say regulated drainage could lower the risk of the lakes breaching natural dams and reduce downstream flood risk.
Implementation Challenges
The project requires prolonged high-altitude work, which officials say exposes workers to health risks and danger from sudden flooding.
Key facts
- Rainfall recorded
- 84.4 mm in three hours at Simalpani, Arghakhanchi district.
- Flood risk
- Moderate risk of sudden flash floods was forecast for small rivers in named western districts and surrounding areas.
- Weather outlook
- Thunderstorms, lightning and intermittent rain were possible through Friday; gradual improvement was expected from Saturday.
- Earlier disaster incidents
- The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported 542 incidents from September 24 to 27: 304 landslides, 87 floods and 151 directly linked to heavy rainfall.
- Earlier disaster impact
- Those incidents killed 27 people, left four missing and injured eight, and affected 1,082 families.
- Earlier damage and response
- They destroyed 227 houses, partially damaged 142 and damaged 31 bridges; nearly 2,000 people were evacuated.
Quotes
Samjwal Ratna Bajracharya
Retired ICIMOD expert on glaciers, glacial lakes and outburst floods.
“They are growing fast, are high up in the Himalayas and could cause outbursts any time, due to earthquakes, avalanches, climatic conditions and unplanned human-induced activity.”
telegraphindia.com
“Our aim is to lower the risk of the lakes breaching their natural dams and reduce the risk of downstream floods.”
telegraphindia.com
Sources
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