Mahottari: The daily life of people in Mahottari has been affected by the cold wave for the past two weeks. People have been forced to stay indoors as a result of the severe cold in central, western and southern regions of the district including the headquarters Jaleshwar.
There has been a decrease in the mobility of people in the urban and rural areas of the district including Jaleshwar due to the cold weather. Means of transportation have started running at a minimum level.
Meanwhile, traders say that the sale of warm clothes has increased rapidly in the market. However, the number of people coming to shop for other items has decreased in the market.
According to the health authorities, there has been an increase in the number of children and the elderly falling sick and seeking treatment. Doctors say that the number of patients in the district hospital has increased due to the cold.
Farmers have said that the winter crops including pulses, oilseeds and vegetable crops have started rotting due to the cold.
To protect people from the cold, all the 15 municipalities in the district have arranged for burning of firewood in common places in the villages. Likewise, the contingent of Nepali Army based in Jaleshwar is working to provide hot water and tea in the poor Dalit settlements.
Also, all the 323 schools across the district have been closed.
Weather today: possibility of light snowfall
Light snowfall is likely in the hilly areas of Sudurpaschim, Karnali and Gandaki provinces today due to the influence of the westerly low pressure system, according to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology.
Due to the effect of this system, there is possibility of light snowfall in high hilly and mountainous areas of Sudurpaschim, Karnali and Gandaki provinces while will be partly cloudy and generally clear in the remaining provinces.
The weather tonight will be partly cloudy in Sudurpaschim, Karnali, Lumbini and Gandaki provinces and partly cloudy in the rest of the country. There is a possibility of light rain at a few places in the hilly areas of Sudurpaschim and Karnali provinces.
Likewise, some areas of the Tarai are likely to be affected by heavy mist and fog.
According to the latest information of the department, the minimum temperature of Kathmandu Valley today is 4.0 degrees Celsius and the maximum temperature is 18.5 degrees Celsius. Likewise, the lowest minimum temperature has been recorded in Jiri at minus 0.9 degrees Celsius and the highest temperature in Biratnagar at 22.3 degrees Celsius.
