KATHMANDU: The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has issued an urgent weather warning, placing the Kathmandu Valley and several neighboring districts on high alert for flash floods today.

This warning comes as the monsoon trough has shifted slightly north of its average position, settling closer to Nepal’s southern plains.

The atmospheric shift has brought widespread cloud cover across the entire country, triggering light to moderate rainfall across Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki, and Lumbini provinces, alongside scattered showers in Madhesh, Karnali, and Sudurpashchim.

Meteorologists have specifically flagged the rivers and streams flowing through Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, and Kavrepalanchok as highly vulnerable.

According to the department, there is a strong probability of sudden, high-risk flash floods in the smaller tributaries running through these core valley districts and their surrounding areas.

Residents living near these water corridors are being urged to maintain a high level of vigilance as water levels are expected to rise rapidly throughout the day.

Meanwhile, a moderate risk of flooding is threatening communities along riverbanks in fifteen other districts.

Authorities have extended warnings to Nuwakot, Taplejung, Sankhuwasabha, Tehrathum, Panchthar, Khotang, Dolakha, Ramechhap, Sindhuli, Makwanpur, Chitwan, Nawalparasi, Kaski, Rasuwa, and Dhading.

The steady rainfall in these hilly and mountainous regions means that local rivers and streams could swell to dangerous thresholds, risking localized inundation.

Furthermore, the weather advisory notes that smaller, seasonal rivers in the southern Terai and western regions are also expected to see significant rises in water levels.

A moderate risk of flash floods has been declared for Bara, Parsa, Rautahat, Kapilvastu, Rupandehi, Banke, Bardiya, Kailali, Kanchanpur, Dang, Pyuthan, Jajarkot, Jumla, and Darchula.

Disaster management officials advise everyone in low-lying, riverside, or landslide-prone zones nationwide to closely monitor local water conditions and stay tuned to official updates.