Suman Regmi, senior meteorologist at the Meteorological Forecasting Division, ascribed the warmer winter to a lack of precipitation.
“The winter is warmer this year compared to previous years, most likely due to lack of rain,” he said. “There are no signs of possible rain in central and eastern Nepal in the foreseeable future. The western and far-western region, though, might see rainfall.”
Regmi did not deny that the warmer winter may be caused by a wider phenomenon such as global warming. “But it would be premature to say that the warmer temperatures are due to global warming. A statement like that warrants a prior research,” he said.
Interesting, there was no rain during the same in period in 2007 either to account for low temperatures experienced then, in comparison with this year.
Temperatures around this time were also consistently lower last year compared with this, according to figures provided by the Division.
Minimum and maximum temperatures recorded on December 16 last year were 0.9 and 20.5 degrees Celsius, respectively, while temperatures on the same date this year were 5 and 22.6 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Similarly, the minimum and maximum temperatures on December 15 last year were 1.2 and 21.4. The same for this year were 3.5 and 22.4, respectively.
Regmi said temperatures would likely drop if we experience rain in the later stages of winter. The coldest period of a winter is generally February.
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