There is a likelihood of rainfall in different parts of the country on Monday, the day the final phase of local level elections takes place in eight districts of Province 2.

According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division (MFD), rainfall is expected on Monday, though the monsoon has remained largely inactive in recent weeks despite favourable weather conditions for rains.

“Monsoon has been largely inactive for a long time now. It has not rained significantly despite conducive weather conditions,” Bibhuti Pokharel of the MFD said

The current break in monsoon rains, however, does not imply the end to this year’s monsoon, Pokharel added.

Other than few cases of isolated rainfalls the weather should remain generally clear in the days to come, but sometimes monsoon may extend for few more days than the estimated date.

“This curret break in rainfall does not mean that the monsoon has retreated. The situation is definitely improving, but rainfall are likely to occur again before its departure for this year” Pokharel said.

This year’s monsoon witnessed several days of dry breaks before unloading heavy rains across the country in the second week of August, causing destructive floods and landslides. 

The Kusum Gauge Station of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology in Banke recorded this year’s highest rainfall in West Rapti with the reading of 424mm in eight hours. 

According to Ministry of Home Affairs, 159 people lost their lives in monsoon-related incidents across the country in the month of August.

After extreme rains which continued for at least three days in most part of the country, monsoon once again picked up in the last week of August, when sudden formation of strom clouds above hill regions caused an overnight rainfall accompanied by lighting and thunder.

Normally, monsoon begins in Nepal on June 10 and stays till September 23, which is a week away.

The country receives more than 80 per cent of its total rainfall between June and September.