Late monsoon rains cause record flooding along the Gandak River

Torrential rain drenched Nepal and parts of India between September 24 and 27, 2026, causing the Gandak River to rise to unprecedented levels. NASA Earth Observatory and Patna Press both reported that late monsoon storms triggered heavy runoff and landslides, inundating settlements and farmland across both countries. [1][4]

The storms severely impacted the Lumbini and Gandaki provinces in mountainous Nepal. According to NASA Earth Observatory, water overtopped and breached river embankments in multiple locations, flooding areas along the braided river system for hundreds of kilometres. [1]

The Gandak River, also known as the Narayani, is a major left bank tributary of the Ganges River with a catchment area covering 46,300 square kilometres, mostly situated in Nepal. Its basin contains three mountains that stand above 8,000 metres, including Dhaulagiri, Annapurna Massif, and Manaslu. [1][6]

Authorities in Nepal and India have begun assessing the full extent of the flooding as water levels remain high across the region. [1]