Generally, the highest temperature in Dadeldhura in January is 19.3 degrees Celsius. However, Dadeldhura recorded 25.5 degrees Celsius this January. Likewise, Taplejung experienced 22.7 degrees Celsius, up from its January average of 17.8 degrees.
Also worrisome is that maximum temperatures in Dadeldhura and Taplejung rose by a record 10.8 and 4.3 degrees Celsius respectively.
The effect of such climate change has already started surfacing across the country. Meteorologists say that the 1970s´ and 90s´ were the hottest decades in terms of atmospheric temperature.
However, the temperatures recorded in various coldest places in Nepal during last winter are not only surprising in themselves, but are also the highest ever recorded in winter, according to meteorologists.
According to meteorologist Rajendra Shrestha at the Meteorological Forecasting Division, higher temperatures were recorded in the mid and upper hills this winter than in the Tarai. Though temperature in the Tarai were found to be more or less the same on average, the mid and upper hills have witnessed sharp temperature increases in recent years.
The temperature in the Tarai has increased by 3 degrees Celsius, while there was a 3 to 5 degree Celsius rise in temperatures in the mid-hills and an 8 degree rise in the upper hills.
Another meteorologist, Suraj Kumar Baidhya, said the first decade of the century has been found to be the hottest even though environmentalists still believe that the 90s´ was the hottest decade.
Though global warming is usually blamed for the increase in temperatures, Baidhya argues it is wrong to conclude that temperatures are on the rise just because they went up in a particular year. He, however, admits that the temperatures recorded this year were surprising.
Meteorologists themselves are taken aback by the changes seen in the weather and the dry winter spell. Generally, 3 to 5 percent rainfall takes place even during dry season. But this year saw the lowest dry season rainfall recorded in Nepal since 2005/06.
This winter in Nepal remained almost dry due to poor westerly winds. There was no rainfall as the winds coming in from the Mediterranean Sea changed the usual course and went to Tibet via northern Pakistan.
Temperature (in Degree Celsius) recorded in January, 2009
| Place | Average Temperature | Maximum Temperature |
| Dadeldhura | 19.3 | 25.5 |
| Dhangadhi | 22.1 | 28.4 |
| Jumla | 18.0 | 24.0 |
| Pokhara | 21.8 | 24.5 |
| Jomsom | 14.2 | 23.9 |
| Kathmandu | 22.6 | 25.8 |
| Dhankuta | 21.5 | 26.7 |
| Biratnagar | 20.1 | 26.5 |
| Taplejung | 17.8 | 22.7 |
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