Bhutan is experiencing unpredictable weather pattern such as heavy shower, hailstorm, windstorm and thunderstorm, pre-monsoon season this year. According to the weather forecasters, it is due to western disturbances and change in wind pattern.
The pre-monsoon season starts from March and ends in May.
Normally irregular weather is expected during the pre-monsoon season. However, this year seemed to be different. There have been frequent reports of events such as hailstorm and windstorm damaging crops and houses.
This year also recorded heavy snowfall.
“During the Pre-Monsoon season there is moisture blow from the south-west and when the cold body and warm body collide together it creates events like gusty windstorm thunderstorm and hailstorm,” Sonam Tashi, a Weather Forecaster with National Centre for Hydrology and Metrology (NCHM), said.
According to the centre, some unexpected events like blackouts in the southern belts were also experienced recently. This according to the forecasters is due to frequent western disturbances leading to gusty winds. The weather is expected to remain the same.
“There is the possibility of light to moderate rainfall especially in the southern parts of Bhutan. Also, there is a possibility of gusty wind thunderstorm and high chances of a hailstorm in the southwestern and eastern part of Bhutan,” Sonam Tashi said.
According to NCHM, the present weather will not determine the upcoming summer monsoon.
They say the wind pattern during pre-monsoon and monsoon is different. At present, they said it is not possible to forecast the upcoming monsoon.
