Nepal Heavy Rain Update (25–27 September 2026): Which Highways Are Blocked and What Travellers Should Do

Update, 29 Sept: Highways have reopened. Read the latest road status.

Last updated: Friday, 25 September 2026 (Ashoj 9, 2083), afternoon. Conditions are changing by the hour. We will update this page as roads reopen.

It started raining in Kathmandu on Thursday afternoon, and it hasn't really stopped since. By Friday morning, almost every river in the valley was running high, police vans were driving along the river corridors with loudspeakers, and the buses at Gongabu's New Bus Park had stopped moving. For anyone hoping to get in or out of Kathmandu this weekend, the answer right now is simple: most roads are closed.

None of this came without warning. Earlier this week, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology asked people to avoid long-distance road travel from 25 to 27 September (Ashoj 9 to 11), and Prime Minister Balendra Shah repeated the appeal. Here is what has happened where, which routes are affected, and what to do if you had plans to travel.

What the Weather Department Warned

The rain is coming from a deep depression that formed over the Bay of Bengal and has been moving north-west across India towards Nepal. On 23 September, the Meteorological Forecasting Division issued a special bulletin. According to The Kathmandu Post's report on the advisory, it put out a red alert for the Himalayan region, told trekkers already on the trails to come down to lower elevations, and advised the public to avoid long-distance road travel for three days.

The heaviest rain is expected in Gandaki and Lumbini provinces, where one or two places could get extremely heavy rainfall. Heavy to very heavy rain is also possible in parts of Koshi, Madhesh, Bagmati, Karnali and Sudurpaschim. In other words, almost nowhere in the country is completely out of it this weekend.

Kathmandu Valley: Rivers Over Their Banks

On Friday, the Bagmati, Manohara, Hanumante, Bishnumati and Nakkhu all swelled sharply. Security personnel went along the river corridors with loudspeakers telling people to stay back, and some roads along the rivers were closed to traffic.

At Balkhu Khola, the river began cutting into its banks by Friday morning. Kathmandu Metropolitan City's police started moving around 20 people, mostly tenants, out of houses on the riverside that were at risk. The Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police asked everyone not to park vehicles along river corridors, and Kathmandu Metropolitan City asked residents to keep their rubbish at home because the road to the landfill site is blocked.

Roads In and Out of Kathmandu

This is the situation as of Friday afternoon. In practical terms, Kathmandu is almost cut off by road. Nepal News reported that public vehicles were halted at Gongabu's New Bus Park from Thursday evening, as the highways out of the valley became blocked one after another.

With the Prithvi, BP and Kanti routes all shut, traffic has piled onto the Tribhuvan Rajpath. Makwanpur's District Administration Office has set time windows for each direction:

- Hetauda to Kathmandu (from Chaukitol, Hetauda-1): until 2pm on Friday; 4am to 8am on Saturday; and 10pm on Saturday to 2am on Sunday.

- Kathmandu to Hetauda (from the Simbhanjyang checkpoint): 7pm to 11pm on Friday; 1pm to 5pm on Saturday; and 7am to 11am on Sunday (Ashoj 11).

Only passenger vehicles up to 11 metres long are allowed on the Rajpath. Heavy goods vehicles with more than ten wheels or loads over 15 tonnes are banned, except for those carrying fuel and LPG. The Kathmandu Valley Traffic Police has also said that some light vehicles have been moving out of the valley via the Pharping route.

These windows can change at short notice, so check with the Traffic Police on 103 before you set out.

Around the Country

The rain isn't only a Kathmandu story. Here is what has been reported elsewhere so far.

Koshi: Authorities opened 31 gates of the Saptakoshi barrage on Friday afternoon. According to Nepal News's report on the Saptakoshi barrage, the flow was measured at over 240,000 cusecs at 2:15pm, a level considered highly dangerous. Low-lying settlements downstream, including across the border in Bihar, have been put on alert.

Madhesh: Rain is falling in all eight districts. Authorities have asked for high alert until 27 September, with the greatest concern along the Kamala river in Dhanusha and Siraha. Settlements along the Bagmati and Lalbakaiya in Rautahat, and along the streams flowing down from the Chure hills in Bara and Parsa, are also at risk of flash floods. Security forces across the province are on standby.

Lumbini and Gandaki: These are expected to be the hardest-hit provinces this weekend. Archale in Palpa recorded more than 187 mm of rain in 24 hours. The Tinau river was rising in Butwal on Friday, and a landslide blocked the Rudrabeni–Purtighat road along the Kaligandaki Corridor in Gulmi.

Karnali: The provincial disaster committee has halted two-way traffic on every highway and feeder road in the hill and mountain districts until the risk passes. That covers the Karnali Highway, the Madan Bhandari Highway, the Karnali Corridor, the Bheri Corridor and others. Only essential vehicles are allowed on the Kohalpur–Surkhet section, depending on road conditions.

Districts at high flood risk: The Flood Forecasting Division listed Gorkha, Lamjung, Kaski, Manang, Mustang, Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Surkhet, Dailekh, Kailali and Kanchanpur. Small rivers in these districts could rise sharply, and flash floods are highly possible.

Flights: On Friday morning, Bharatpur, Pokhara, Lukla, Simara and Surkhet airports were closed because of poor visibility, so flying isn't a reliable backup either. Heavy snowfall has also been reported in the Himalayan districts.

If You Were Planning to Travel This Weekend

Don't go, if you can avoid it. The weather department's advice covers the whole weekend. Even where a road looks open, saturated hillsides can give way without warning.

Change your date early. If you already have a ticket for 25–27 September, contact your bus operator or booking platform now about moving your journey. Waiting until the roads reopen means competing with thousands of others who had the same plan.

If you absolutely must travel, go in daylight, use only routes the police confirm are open, stick to the Tribhuvan Rajpath windows, and carry water, food, any medicines you need, and a charged phone. Travellers on Nepal's highways have been stuck for many hours when landslides fall mid-journey.

Never try to cross a flooded road, causeway or bridge, on foot or in a vehicle. Swollen rivers look slower than they are.

If you live near a river, don't wait for the water to reach your door. Move valuables and vehicles now, keep an eye on the loudspeaker announcements, and know where you would go if you had to leave at night.

What Happens Next

Meteorologists expect the system to shift westwards over the next two days. That means the rain should gradually ease in eastern Nepal, Madhesh and Bagmati, while Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim take the heaviest hit.

Even once the rain stops, the roads won't reopen instantly. Crews can only clear landslides safely once the slopes stop moving, and damaged stretches like Krishnabhir and Dharapani may stay one-way for a while. With Ghatasthapana on 11 October, many people will rush out as soon as the first highway opens. Give it a day or two and travel when the police say it's safe.

Useful Numbers and Sources

- Weather updates: 1155 (toll-free, press 1)

- Traffic Police: 103

- Police: 100

- Ambulance: 102

- Tourist Police: 1144

For official forecasts and flood warnings, follow the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. For road status, follow Nepal Police and your district traffic office.

A Note from GoMyGo

Like everyone else in the valley, our team has spent the last two days watching the rivers and the road updates. The most important thing right now is that people stay safe, not that they reach their destination on schedule. If the weather has affected a journey you've booked with us, you can reach our support team on WhatsApp at +977-9704666777 and we'll help you work out the next step.

Final Words

Nepal knows this pattern better than most countries, and it never gets easier: the warnings, the rain that doesn't stop, the rivers climbing, and the highways closing one after another. This time the warnings came early. Please use them. Stay home this weekend if you can, stay away from riverbanks, check in on neighbours who live close to the water, and leave the roads to the rescue teams and road crews until the weather clears. Dashain is still two weeks away. There is time to get home safely.