VIDEO. Nepal: planes in fog and schools closed ... Kathmandu suffocates under smoke from forest fires

Nepal is having its worst wildfire season in nearly a decade, with huge blazes raging across the country, shrouded in a brownish cloud, authorities say.

Air quality in the capital Kathmandu was ranked as the worst in the world on Tuesday, according to the IQAir monitoring site, and some international flights were delayed as thick smoke blanketed the city.

National Authority for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management spokesperson Uddav Prasad Rijal told AFP that the number of forest fires reported this season was the highest since the creation of registers listing them. , nine years ago.

Firefighters were working to control the flames, officials said.

More than 2,700 forest fires have been reported in the country since November, 14 times more than the same period last year, according to the government.

According to the official, the winter season between November and February was drier than usual, which increased the risk of fires.

The fire season begins in November and lasts until the onset of the monsoon in June.

According to a climate expert, Madhukar Upadhya, it was "inevitable" that there would be more fires, as Nepalese winters are getting drier due to climate change.

Last week, schools were closed for four days after air quality reached dangerous levels.