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Clear skies, gentle breezes and a panoramic view of majestic peaks covered in white powder - that is the autumn experience that hikers on Mount Everest have come to love.

But this seems to be shifting.

Shifting Weather Patterns

Meteorologists say the rainy season now extends into autumn, which is historically the high-altitude tourism period.

Throughout this delayed tail end of monsoon, they have observed at least one instance of heavy precipitation nearly every year for the past decade, with high-altitude conditions becoming more hazardous.

Latest Crisis on Everest

Recently, a sudden snowstorm trapped several hundred of visitors near the eastern face of Everest for multiple days in freezing temperatures at an elevation of more than 4,900m.

Approximately 600 hikers were guided to safety by the end of Tuesday, according to reports.

A single individual had died from hypothermia and altitude sickness, but the others were said to be in good condition.

Similar Events Across the Region

This was on the Tibetan slope but something similar had unfolded on the Nepal side, where a South Korean mountaineer lost his life on another Himalayan summit.

The international community learned after some delay because communication lines were affected by heavy downpours and significant snow accumulation.

Officials estimate that mudslides and sudden floods in the region have claimed the lives of around 60 people over the previous seven days.

"It is very atypical for autumn during which we expect the skies to stay clear," said an experienced mountain guide.

Economic Impact

Considering autumn represents the preferred period, regular extreme weather events like these have "hampered our mountaineering and climbing industry," he continued.

The rainy period in the Indian subcontinent and Nepal usually lasts from early summer to mid-September, but no longer.

"Our data shows that the majority of the annual cycles in the past decade have had monsoons lasting until the middle of autumn, which is certainly a shift," explained a high-ranking weather official.

Increasing Climate Severity

More worrying is the intense precipitation and snowfall the tail end of the period produces, like it did recently on early October.

High in the mountain range, such extreme weather means snowstorms and snowstorms, which constitutes a significant risk for trekking, climbing and the travel industry.

Personal Experiences

Exactly what happened recently when the conditions shifted very abruptly - the winds began roaring, temperatures plummeted and sightlines dropped drastically.

The trail that had comfortably led the trekkers to what was expected to be a breathtaking pitstop was now covered in white accumulation and extremely difficult to navigate.

Still, one hiker, who had hiked the Himalayas more than a twelve times, said he had "not once experienced weather like these" before.

Scientific Explanations

A primary big driver is the increased quantity of moisture in the atmosphere because of how the world has been heating up, scientists explain.

This has contributed to torrential rains over a brief period of duration, frequently after a prolonged period without rain – in contrast to in the previous era when monsoon showers were spread uniformly over the entire season.

A Intensified Monsoon

Climate specialists report the monsoons in South Asia at occasions seem to have become stronger because they are increasingly coming into contact with another weather system, the westerly disturbance.

The phenomenon is a atmospheric depression that forms in the Mediterranean area and travels eastward - it carries chillier temperatures that causes rains and sometimes snowfall to the subcontinent, Pakistan and the Himalayan region.

Global Change Impacts

Researchers have additionally found that in a warming planet, the growing relationship between westerly disturbances and monsoons is producing another unusual outcome.

The warmer air is forcing the clouds higher, which means these weather systems are now capable to cross the mountain barrier and affect the Tibetan plateau and additional areas that did not see as much precipitation before.

"The transformation is the reliability of patterns; we can't assume that conditions will occur the identical from season to season," commented an experienced expedition leader.

"That means adaptable scheduling, immediate choices, and experienced leadership [in the Himalayas] have become increasingly essential."