'Weak monsoon in Nepal does not mean no risk of disaster'

Nepal will witness a weak monsoon this year and that too will be delayed by a week, the country's department of hydrology and meteorology said on Wednesday.

Though the monsoon generally begins on June 10 and ends on September 23, this year it will be delayed by a week, the department forecast.

"We will have less rainfall this year compared to previous years. But it doesn't mean that there will be no floods or landslides. Risks of disasters are same," Rishi Ram Sharma, director general of the department of hydrology and meteorology, told Xinhua news agency.

Every year, Nepal, one of the world's most disaster-prone countries, faces severe losses of human lives and damages to settlements due to multiple natural hazards.

To minimise possible destruction, the department has already installed the automatic water sensors indicating the water level, status of normal flow and warning in 27 major rivers.

Monsoon is expected to be a major trouble-maker in the process of reconstruction after the April 25 earthquake and aftershocks devastated the country as the government has almost completed the search, rescue and relief programme.

"Monsoon will definitely bring challenges for the rebuilding process, so within a week, major things should be settled down," Sharma warned.

At a time when the aftershocks are still being felt in the country, the Kathmandu Valley experienced temperature between 33 and 35 degrees Celsius, which is higher than the past years.

However, the meteorology department said the weather pattern was normal and has no connection with the earthquake.