Enter monsoon

Experts predict above-average rains and temperatures. It’s time to prepare for disasters.

When it arrives, it can bring both bounty and bane. However, due to a changing climate, monsoons in recent times have invariably resulted in more hardship than help. This monsoon, which arrived in Nepal on Monday, three days ahead of the usual date, will certainly buoy farmers and provide much-needed relief from the blistering heat, but concerns over its severity still loom large. Experts have predicted above-normal rains and above-average maximum and minimum temperatures. As this will exacerbate floods, landslides and epidemics, disaster preparedness becomes crucial.