This week will see chillier days with brief to moderate rains causing mercury to drop significantly, the Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD) predicted.

The cold has already gripped many places across the country, including Kathmandu and Tarai districts, for more than a week now. The weathermen forecast partly cloudy weather with chances of rains along the western, central and eastern parts of the country on Tuesday and Wednesday, raising fears and anxieties among people in Tarai districts.

According to Subash Rimal, meteorologist at the MFD, daytime temperatures are dropping gradually and are expected to continue in the coming days.

“Though it is still early to forecast the onset of strong cold front in Tarai districts now, the rains expected on Tuesday and the following day will see a further drop in temperatures,” he said. There is still inadequate moisture and absence of other contributing factors to intensify cold wave in the Tarai districts.

Every year between December and February, cold wave claims dozens of people in the country, particularly in the eastern Tarai districts. Over 100 people succumbed to severe  the cold in the past two years. Lack of warm clothes, food and shelter, along with poor health facilities, contribute to the increasing number of deaths.

The MFD said that the weather across the country is expected to remain dry with cold nights and foggy mornings and the minimum temperature would range between below freezing in the hills and mountains to 15 Celsius in the Tarai districts.

On Monday, Jumla recorded the lowest minimum daytime temperature at -2, while Dharan witnessed the highest at 17.5 Celsius among the 20 meteorological stations across the country.

The Home Ministry said the local authorities, particularly in the Tarai districts, have been directed to work to protect people from the cold.