Dense fog, haze affect daily life in western Tarai
Daily life in western Tarai including Banke district has been affected due to dense fog and haze.
Children, students, daily-wage workers, people from poor backgrounds, helpless and senior citizens have been affected the most due to the chilling cold.
People have been forced to confine themselves inside the house.
Driver Ram Prasad Tharu of Nepalgunj-16 said they have been facing problems to provide transport service due to thick fog and chilling cold.
Following the chilling cold, the number of people suffering from asthma, pneumonia, cold, cough and fever has increased in Bheri Hospital, said the Information Officer at the Hospital, Sanket Risal.
More than 100 patients suffering from pneumonia, cold and cough visit the hospital every day in recent days, he mentioned.
Schools in Mahottari closed due to severe cold
In response to the harsh cold, local authorities in Mahottari have declared school closures.
The prevalent cold weather, cold wave, and thick fog have disrupted daily activities, prompting all 15 local levels in Mahottari to suspend classes temporarily.
Currently, a holiday of two to three days has been announced, which will be subtracted from the annual vacation days.
According to a statement from the local authorities, the intense cold has begun to impact students, leading to the closure of schools within the municipalities.
In the Tarai-Madhes region, cold waves and chilly winds have been prevalent in recent days.
The extreme cold has particularly affected children and the elderly.
Cold affects life in Mahottari
Normal life has been adversely affected due to cold in Mahottari.
The dense fog and mist that set from the morning continue till midday these days subsequently leading to cold wind.
"A dense fog has formed from morning to till midday since last Wednesday. Due to the cold wind, we have not been able to go to our duty either," shared Ashraful Ryan, 30, of Matihani-8.
"It has made life more difficult," he lamented.
While the southern part of the district saw a sharp increase in cold since last Wednesday due to foggy conditions, the northern parts have witnessed similar weather conditions since last Friday.
These places had experienced bright sunshine till last Thursday, said Laxmi Prasad Kushbaha of Gaushala-10.
The septuagenarian man recalled, "The weather was so good till Thursday but suddenly a thick fog set in on Friday. Since then the cold has risen sharply."
The elderly worried, "This increasing cold has given us a fear that we won't be able to survive much longer."
He explained that although fog sets in the morning and gradually gets cleared after daytime, the cold wind blows throughout the day due to lack of sunlight.
The impoverished settlements have been severely affected by the increasing cold.
Marginalized and backward communities such as Mushahar, Dom, Halkhor and Mestar among others fend off cold by collecting discarded clothes, papers and plastics and burn 'Ghur' (bonfire) to heat up themselves.
"There is no firewood to burn a bonfire. None (concerned authority) comes to see us. What shall we do," bemoaned Hemani Sada Mushahar of Bhangaha-4, adding that they have to rely on 'Ghur' to warm them up during the winter.
Furthermore, there are difficulties in operating vehicles on the road and running air services due to inclement weather due to dense fog.
Most of the morning flights have been affected due to poor visibility, according to the Janakpur Airport.
Drivers operating public vehicles also admit that driving in dense fog poses huge risks of road accidents which is why they are forced to stop the vehicles at places.
The cold wind that blows due to persistent thick fog from morning to midday has made the mornings and evenings here much colder, affecting the daily lives.
Schools closed due to cold in Nepalgunj
A three-day holiday has been declared in community and institutional schools in Nepalgunj due to the increasing cold.
The schools will be closed from today till January 24, said Gorkha Bahadur Thapa, Head of the Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City's Education, Youth and Sports Division.
He said this holiday has been given due to the excessive cold condition and it would be adjusted from the monsoon holidays.
It is difficult to run classes in schools due to the cold wave.
According to him, parents had also been informally requesting the schools and the local government for giving holiday in view of the excessive cold weather.
Classes suspended in 93 community schools in Solukhumbu due to extreme cold
Classes have been suspended in 93 community schools in Solukhumbu district due to extreme cold.
Seven local governments have announced winter holidays for the community schools in their area after it became difficult to run classes due to the excessive cold.
Prakanda Neupane, Information Officer of the Education Development and Coordination Unit, Solukhumbu, said the schools have been gradually closing down since last November.
There are 289 community schools in the district and of these, 93 have been closed for the winter holiday.
Out of the eight local levels in the district, all the local levels except Sotang Rural Municipality have given winter holidays.
Nawaraj Parajuli, an employee at the Weather Station at Salleri, said that the temperature has reached minus 20 degrees Celsius in the upper region of the district. The temperature has dropped to minus even in the Salleri region.
Schools in Kanchanpur closed for four days due to cold
Some local levels in Kanchanpur district in the Sudurpaschim Province have decided to halt classes of schools for four days with the biting cold following the cold wave in the district.
The district has witnessed a cold wave for a week. The local levels have announced the winter holiday for four days beginning today.
Shuklaphanta Municipality, Punarbas Municipality and Krishnapur Municipality decided to grant the winter holiday in view of adverse impacts on students' health due to the rising cold and have also asked all the concerned schools to halt classroom-based teaching and learning in the private and community schools.
Chief Administrative Officer of Shuklaphanta Municipality, Khemraj Bista, said the decision was taken as the regular classroom activities were affected and the students had adverse effects on their health from the cold wave.
Schools in Birgunj to remain closed for three days to avoid cold
The Birgunj Metropolitan City has decided to halt classes of schools here for three days with immoderate fall in temperature.
In recent days, the district has seen thick fog. The metropolis has decided to grant a three-day winter holiday from January 8-10. Issuing a public notice, BMC Education Officer Hari Raut shared the decision to give three days winter holiday to both public and private schools.
"In view of adverse impact on students' health due to the rising cold, the metropolis instructed all the concerned schools to halt classroom-based teaching and learning in the schools".
However, the metropolis asked the schools to assign students so that they can continue their study at home. The administrative work of the school would be continued during the holidays, he clarified.
Similarly, Parsagadhi Municipality has also issued a public notice on January 5 and decided to grant winter holiday to public and private schools from January 6 to January 14, said Education Section chief Dev Kumar Giri.
Kathmandu records season’s coldest morning as minimum temp drops to 3. 9 degree Celsius
The Kathmandu Valley has witnessed continuous fall in temperature.
Meteorologist Saroj Pudasaini informed that the minimum temperature was recorded at 3.9 degrees Celsius on Thursday, the season’s coldest morning.
The maximum temperature will remain between 17 to 19 degrees Celsius today. There was sunrise at 6:45 pm while sunset will be at 5:10 pm today.
According to the regular weather bulletin of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, the weather is partly cloudy in the hilly areas of Gandaki and Karnali provinces and fair in the rest of the country.
Similarly, there will be foggy weather in many places of Terai and the Kathmandu Valley and smog in some parts.
According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, the weather will be partly cloudy in the mountainous regions of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces while it will be partly cloudy in some parts of Sudurpaschim, Karnali, Gandaki, Lumbini, Bagmati and Koshi provinces tonight.
The Department has urged all concerned to adopt precautionary measures accordingly in view of foggy climate in many places in the Terai and Valley on Friday morning.
Post monsoon brings cold; people urged to adopt precaution
The country is now in post monsoon. The retreat of the monsoon has brought cold.
The meteorologists have suggested precautions to avoid the cold. After the rainfall on September 27 and 28, the weather improved significantly in the country. The monsoon exited fully two days back.
With the clear sky, it feels cold in the morning and evening now. The federal capital, Kathmandu, is getting increasingly cold for a week, according to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology.
Meteorologist Sanjiv Adhikari said the minimum temperature in Kathmandu was recorded at 20 degree Celsius on October 1, which is down to 16 degree Celsius at present. "We're feeling increasingly cold in Kathmandu. It is in decline for two weeks," he added.
On Sunday, the Kathmandu Valley's temperature was at 14.7 degree Celsius while it was 16 degree Celsius on Monday.
Not only the federal capital but also other parts saw fall in mercury. As the temperature is declining, people need to maintain precaution, Adhikari suggested.
There is a general weather impact of westerly wind in Lumbini, Sudurpaschim, Karnali and Gandaki Provinces while the partial impact is a blend of westerly and local winds in Koshi, Madhesh and Bagmati provinces, the Weather Forecasting Division said.
Despite partial weather changes in hilly regions of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces, the weather will be clear today.
Schools closed due to increasing cold
Teaching and learning activities have been affected due to the cold that has been increasing for the past few days. As a result, community schools in Siraha have started to close.
A dip in the mercury coupled with cold waves led to health complications in the students, leading the local levels to start issuing school closure notices. Due to the increased cold, the number of students coming to school has already dropped.
Accordingly, the Golbazaar Municipality issued a notice on Tuesday stating that the teaching and learning activities in the community schools in the municipality has been halted. For now, the school will be closed until January 15, said Subodh Kumar Lama, of the education unit of the municipality,
Similarly, Lakshampur Patari Rural Municipality has issued a notice stating that the community schools have been closed for a week with effect from Tuesday. Naraha rural municipality has also issued a similar notice.
Daily life in the Tarai has been affected after the temperature dropped along with dense fog and cold waves, since the past few days.
People urged to take precaution against cold as mercury plummets
The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Meteorological Forecasting Division has urged people to take necessary precaution against cold as the mercury is on a dipping trend throughout the country.
Meteorologist at the Division Saroj Pudasaini said although there is no significant weather system at play in Nepal at present, cold is increasing and hence the need to take precautions.
It is partly cloudy in the hilly region of the country and generally fair in the Tarai region, the Division said.
"There is partial influence of the westerly wind and impact of a big weather system is ruled out for some days," Pudasaini added.
The weather will be partly cloudy in the hilly region of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces and generally clear in the rest of the regions today. It will be partly cloudy in the hilly region of Koshi and Gandaki provinces and generally fair in the rest of the regions tonight, the Division stated.
Dense fog had occurred in Biratnagar, Janakpur and Bhairahawa in the Tarai region in the morning today.
The minimum temperature in Kathmandu today was 5.4 degrees Celsius and the maximum 18 degrees Celsius. Cold has intensified in Kathmandu as the mercury has dropped. Although it is sunny towards noon, extreme cold is felt in the morning and evening.
Jumla recorded the lowest temperature of minus 2.8 degrees Celsius throughout the country, the Division said.
People urged to take precaution against cold
The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Meteorological Forecasting Division has urged people to take necessary precaution against cold as the temperature is on a decreasing trend across the country.
Cold has increased with the drop in mercury throughout the country, including in the Kathmandu Valley. The minimum temperature in Kathmandu today is 4.5 degrees Celsius and the maximum 19 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature in Kathmandu is between 4 to 5 degrees Celsius and the maximum in the range of around 17 to 19 degrees Celsius since the last three to four days.
Extreme cold has intensified in Kathmandu due to the fall in temperature. Although the days are sunny, much cold is experienced in the morning and evening.
The lowest temperature of minus 2.8 degrees Celsius is recorded in Jumla and minus 3.5 degrees Celsius in Jomsom, the Division said.
The Westerly wind has partial impact in Nepal at present and the weather is partly cloudy to generally fair due to this weather system. It will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly region of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces and partly cloudy to generally fair in the rest of the provinces tonight.
The weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly region of the above provinces and partly cloudy to mostly fair in the rest of the provinces tomorrow (December 23). There are chances of light rain in one or two places of the hilly regions of Sudurpaschim and Karnali provinces.
The Division stated that there is a possibility of light snowfall in one or two places of the high-hilly and mountainous region of Koshi, Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces.
Cold affects life in Manang, mercury dips to minus 18 degrees Celsius
The temperature in the mountainous Manang district is on the decline to the point of minus 16 degrees Celsius in the second week of December, affecting life.
Average temperature in the morning went from minus eight to 10 degrees Celsius, and around minus 18 degrees Celsius at night, said Chief District Officer Subas Kumar Lamichhane. Chame and surrounding areas recorded from minus 16 to 18 degree Celsius, he said.
"Tap and river water have frozen due to the cold. The road is covered with snow, limiting traffic. There is difficulty in managing drinking water," he said.
As a result, people have been affected in many ways ranging from the closure of infrastructure development.
Issuing a notice, Chame Rural Municipality has urged the concerned authorities to halt the supply of construction materials like cement among others. Cold has prompted the rural municipality to disrupt the supply of construction materials, said the rural municipality acting chief administrative officer Nama Narayan Malla. "There is increasing cold prompting the halt of the transport of construction materials," said Jaya Bista, chief of the infrastructure office, Manang.
Notwithstanding, the local people have started leaving the villages to escape the chilling cold. Closure of schools and educational institutions has facilitated their temporary migration. Lamjung, Kathmandu and Pokhara are preferable places for them to live during the winter.
Following the temporary migration of the local people, two police beats at Narpabhumi Rural Municipality have been relocated to Chame, the district headquarters, from where they are offering services, said CDO Lamichhane.
NHRC urges Karnali govt to protect quake survivors from cold
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the Karnali Province government to ensure essential arrangements for the quake-hit people who are now suffering from severe cold.
NHRC member Mihir Thakur, who visited the earthquake-affected Jajarkot and Rukum Paschim districts, met Province Minister for Internal Affairs and Law, Krishna Bahadur GC, here and made him aware about the biting cold that has been affecting people.
So far, 43 people living under the tents have lost their lives to cold, so urgent help was needed for the protection of lives.
Thakur met Minister GC on Monday and reminded that the number of fatalities would increase if timely assistance was not ensured. "People living with critical disease, pregnant and lactating women, children and senior ones who are living under the tents were hit hard by the cold. The province government needs proper attention to this regard," he underscored.
According to him, the Jajarkot District Hospital had shortage of workforce and medicines, while the quake survivors had not received even the first tranche of monetary support as announced by the government to construct temporary houses.
"Relief distribution was not transparent. Handful of bigwigs influenced the distribution," Thakur added
According to him, the province government could establish reconstruction authority and forward activities accordingly.
However, Minister GC accused the federal government of not allowing rights to province government for reconstruction of the quake-hit areas. Despite this, the province government had allocated Rs 1 billion for the construction of temporary houses for the quake survivors, he shared.
Two elderly men die of cold in quake-hit Jajarkot
Two elderly men died of cold in quake-hit Jajarkot district.
The deceased have been identified as Bhuleshwor Karki (88) of Bheri Municipality-2 and Narendra Bahadur Singh of Barekot Rural Municipality-4. They were residing under the tent after an earthquake destroyed their houses.
A 6.4 magnitude earthquake with its epicenter in Ramidanda of Jajarkot jolted Jajarkot and Rukum West districts on November 3, killing at least 157 persons and destroying properties worth millions.
Both of them were patients of asthma and died due to increasing cold, said Chairperson of Barekot Rural Municipality, Bir Bahadur Giri.
He said that more than 34,000 families of Jajarkot district are living under tents after their houses were completely damaged by the earthquake. Children, new mothers, patients suffering from chronic diseases and elderly persons are mostly affected by the cold.
Chief District Officer of Jajarkot, Suresh Sunar, said that children and elderly persons are found suffering from respiratory problems.
He stated that two chronic disease patients also lost their lives from cold at Nalgad-4 last week.
