Western disturbance may have contributed to conditions before Nepal flash flood

What happened: IMD points to a possible western disturbance role in pre-flood rainfall; Nepal investigates the trigger

A senior India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said a western disturbance bringing rain to parts of northern India and moving toward the Himalayas may have contributed to the rainfall conditions preceding Nepal’s flash flood.

Nepal’s authorities are still investigating whether an earthquake triggered an ice avalanche or a landslide that caused the sudden water surge.

IMD’s caution: cloudburst is not confirmed as the direct cause

IMD said there is not enough information to confirm cloudburst conditions as the direct cause of the sudden water release.

IMD’s position is that the western disturbance should be treated as a possible contributor to the broader rainfall environment, while the immediate mechanism releasing the water remains under investigation.