Kathmandu, Oct. 24 -- Clear skies following the end of Nepal's monsoon could give way to unsettled weather next week as a low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal is forecast to intensify into a cyclonic storm, potentially bringing rain to parts of Nepal and snowfall in the high Himalayas.

The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, in a special post-monsoon weather bulletin issued on Friday, warned that the system could affect Nepal from October 28 to November 1. Meteorologists have urged farmers to protect their ripening paddy crops and trekkers to exercise caution in high-altitude areas.

According to the department, a low-pressure area formed over the east-central and adjoining southeastern Bay of Bengal at 5:45 am on Friday. The ...