|
Climate
and Rainfall
Nepal has four distinct seasons. Spring, from March to
May is warm and dusty with rain showers. Summer, from
June to August, is the monsoon season when the hills
turn lush and green. Autumn, from September to November,
is cool with clear skies, and is the most popular
trekking season. In winter from December to February, it
is cold at night and can be foggy in the early morning
but afternoons are usually clear and pleasant, though
there is occasional snow in the mountains.
Weather condition in Nepal vary from region to region.
Summer and late spring temperatures range from more than
40 Degrees Celsius in the Terai to about 28 Degrees
Celsius in the hilly region of the country. In winter,
average maximum and minimum temperatures in the Terai
range from a mild 23 Degrees Celsius to a brisk 7
Degrees Celsius while the central valleys experience a
chilly 12 Degrees Celsius maximum temperature and a
minimum temperature often falling below freezing point.
Much colder temperatures prevail at higher elevations.
The Katmandu Valley situated at an altitude of 1310m,
has a seasonable but equable climate with average summer
and winter temperatures of 27 Degrees Celsius to 19
Degrees Celsius and 20 Degrees Celsius to 2 Degrees
Celsius respectively. The annual rainfall in Katmandu
generally exceeds 1300mm. The mean annual precipitation
ranges from more than 6000mm along the southern slopes
of the Annapurna range in central Nepal to less than the
250mm in the north central portion near the Tibetan
plateau. Amounts varying between 1500 and 2500mm
predominate over most of the country. On an average,
about 80% of the precipitation is confined to the
monsoon period (June-September).
Back to Top |
|