Kathmandu, July 25 -- As drought grips the country's southern plains, farmers hoping for rain may instead face a windstorm on Friday evening in parts of Madhesh and Koshi provinces, as meteorologists warn that chances of heavy or continuous rainfall remain slim.

The Meteorological Forecasting Division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said that the chances of heavy or continuous rainfall, crucial for rice cultivation, are slim over the next three days in the areas affected by the ongoing drought-like conditions.

Despite both provincial and federal governments declaring Madhesh province a crisis zone, farmers in the region, who have been anxiously gazing at the sky hoping for rainfall, have yet to receive any assistance. The...