Storm Amphan weather to affect surveyor expedition to Mt Qomolangma

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ountain guides transport supplies including oxygen and fuel to a camp at the altitude of 7,028 meters, at Mount Qomolangma in Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region, May 8, 2020. [Photo/Xinhua]

Amphan, a severe cyclonic storm, is expected to make landfall in India and Bengal on Wednesday and bring heavy snow to Southwest China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which meteorologists said will affect the weather at Mount Qomolangma, where a team of Chinese surveyors are scaling the world's highest mountain.

According to the National Meteorological Center, the snow will last till Friday in eastern parts of Tibet autonomous region and southern parts of Qinghai province. Heavy rain will batter western Yunnan province, the center said.  

The center said on its Sina Weibo that Amphan will affect Mount Qomolangma climbers in a detrimental way.

"The remaining cloud system of Amphan will move northward to our country and bring rain and snow. Mount Qomolangma, which sits at the very edge of the system, will be influenced even at the high altitude," the center said. 

China launched a campaign to remeasure the height of Mount Qomolangma, which is known as Mount Everest in the West, early this month. The Ministry of Natural Resources on Monday announced the names of the surveyors who will scale the peak to measure its height. The surveyors were scheduled to reach the summit on Friday.