Nepal floods follow most intense rainfall for more than half a century
by Madhab Uprety, Climate Centre, Kathmandu*
(IFRC-DREF has now issued a humanitarian grant of more than 500,000 Swiss francs to enable the Nepal Red Cross to assist 20,000 people affected by this disaster.)
Nepalese meteorologists this weekend confirmed the rainfall that has caused devastating flash floods and landslides in the Kathmandu valley where the capital city lies is the most intense for more than half a century.
“The data recorded this [Sunday] morning by nine stations in Kathmandu is the highest in the past 54 years,” said Shanti Kandel, Senior Divisional Meteorologist at Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM); Nepal began its current system of measuring and recording rainfall in 1970.
Similar record-breaking rainfall was witnessed by 25 observation posts in at least 14 other districts.
Media reports speak of at least 120 deaths in floods and landslides – the full intensity of which was quickly apparent from social media; scores more were missing.
‘All possible support will be made available
as necessary’
The Nepal Red Cross Society Friday activated its simplified early action protocol worth nearly 30,000 Swiss francs for a western area of the country where riverine floods were forecast – among more than 50 districts under red alert at the end of last week.
The NRCS will use the resources unlocked by the S-EAP to assist nearly 5,500 vulnerable people living near the West Rapti and Babai rivers; planned activities include support to evacuation, distribution of hygiene kits and awareness raising on health, child protection and risk reduction.
In the end, the rainfall was heavier and the dramatic flash floods and landslides worse in the central Kathmandu valley and adjoining districts.
“This is the worst flooding experienced in recent years,” said IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain, who is himself Nepalese.
Red Cross branches were working closely with the authorities to help coordinate rescue and relief operations, he added on X/Twitter. “All possible support will be made available as necessary.”
Climate Centre science lead Liz Stephens said today: “While it’s difficult to draw firm conclusions from records which only began in 1970, this rainfall is a huge increase on the previous record, and the IPCC has indicated with ‘high confidence’ that Nepal will see further increases in heavy rainfall as a result of climate change.
“These floods are further evidence of the help that countries like Nepal need to adapt to a climate very different to what they saw in the past.”
The Nepalese capital Kathmandu and its surrounding districts have seen many dramatic rescues this weekend after record-breaking rainfall and flash floods. (Photo: Nepal National Disaster Risk Reduction Authority via social media)
(*Madhab Uprety is normally based in Kathmandu but filed this story from Australia.)