KATHMANDU, Sept 7: The Kathmandu Valley received record breaking 121.5 mm of rain between 1 am and 8:45 am on Monday. On average, Kathmandu receives 199.08 mm of rainfall in September. “This is historic rain as these types of rains are very rare,” said senior meteorologist Nirajan Sapkota. The Valley had received 84.03 mm of rain on September 12, 2008.

According to meteorologists, the main cause of such heavy rain is due to the water evaporating from the Bay of Bengal mixed with the local air. Lightning and strong wind hits at the beginning and end of the monsoon. These types of lightning also mark the end of one monsoon system and start of another. The new monsoon system started on Sunday night according to the meteorologists.

On Monday morning, rivers in the valley flooded due to heavy rains creating havoc among people living nearby. “The land in Kathmandu could not absorb the water,” said Sapkota, a senior meteorologist. “Thus, the water overflowed and flooded several parts of the city.” Environmentalists argue that as the Valley has become concrete jungle and this made impossible for the land to absorb rain water.

Due to the floods, settlements near Bagmati, Dhobikhola, Manohara and other rivers were inundated. According to police, 400 houses in Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur were inundated and 250 people were rescued. The Meteorological Forecasting Division has forecasted light to moderate rain in many places on Tuesday as well. 

 
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