Abstracts for the 5th International GAME Conf.

3-5 October 2001

Aichi Trade Center

Nagoya Japan

Monsoon variation in Nepal during ENSO years

Mani Ratna Shakya (1)

Nepal, a land locked mountainous country with wide topographical variation ranging from plain Tarai in the south to the great Himalaya in the north, lies in the northern limit of Tropics. The rainfall in the country is dominated mostly by Monsoon. About 80% of the total annual precipitation in the country occurred during summer monsoon season i.e., from the month of June to Sept. The monsoon rain is the life blood of the agriculture, power generation and industrial output in the country. At present with growth of population and demand for more water supply,importance of monsoon is increasing day by day. Normally, Monsoon sets in Nepal in the second week of June with premonsoon thundershower prevailing in the month of March, April and May. The amount of rainfall seems to be variable from year to year. In some year, when there is an effect of global atmospheric phenomenon such as ELNINO, the rainfall in Nepal is observed to be highly infuenced. Since, ENSO event takes place in Pacific Ocean which is far away from Nepal, it is of great interest to study whether the ENSO event affects the rainfall in Nepal or not. In this context, the current study has been made selecting six ENSO years from 1976 to 1998 to find corelation between the rainfall in Nepal and ENSO events. Dividing Nepal into three regions, it has been found that the mean rainfall value shows a distict negative tendency at some regions in Nepal in the ENSO year. During Severe ENSO event that occurred in 1982-1983, the whole Nepal is affected by deicit of rainfall.However, during 1997-1998 ENSO event, except at some places in the eastern hilly region, whole Nepal experienced below normal rainfall. Likewise, the onset of monsoon in Nepal during ENSO year is also found to be later than normal onset date.

Submittal Information

Name : Date :
    Mani Ratna Shakya
    09-Jul-01-19:05:40
Organization : Theme :
    Meteorological Forecasting Division, Department of Hydrology & Meteorology, Nepal
    Theme 5
Address : Presentation :
    Kathmandu, NEPAL
    Poster or oral
Country : Abstract ID :
    Nepal
    T5MRS09Jul01190540
Phone : Fax :
    +??-977-1-473382
    +??-977-1-473268
E-mail :
    mani4455@hotmail.com