COLOMBO – Heavy monsoon rains lashing several parts of the country over the weekend are expected to ease by Tuesday (27), the Department of Meteorology said, even as rain pelted down in Colombo and elsewhere on Monday (26) morning.
“We’re experiencing this weather condition due to the active monsoon season. As per our observations so far, the heavy rains will only prevail today and some sort of reduction can be expected on Tuesday,” said Deputy Director (Research and International Affairs), Department of Meteorology, Shiromani Jayawardena.
Asked if Sri Lanka will experience extreme weather in the coming days similar to conditions seen elsewhere in Asia, Jayawardena said the Met Department is awaiting updated observations.
“At present, it doesn’t look like the condition will persist, but we are waiting for updated observations,” she said.
Jayawardena attributed the heavy rainfall in Colombo and other parts of the island Monday morning to soil moisture.
Meanwhile, the Met Department forecast heavy showers above 100 mm at some places in the Western and Sabaragamuwa Provinces and Kandy, Nuwara-Eliya, Galle and Matara districts to continue till 10:00 p.m. Monday night.
A report published by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) citing a Met Dept forecast said thundershowers will occur in parts of the Uva Province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts in the evening or night.
Fairly strong winds up to 40-50kmph and gusting up to 60kmph are also expected in the western slope of the central hills, the Northern, North-Central and North-Western provinces and in Hambantota and Trincomalee districts.
Naval and fishing communities have been advised to be vigilant as seas are expected to be very rough, especially from Galle to Pottuvil via Matara and Hambantota and in the sea areas extending from Puttalam to Kankasanturai via Mannar, and other sea areas around the country.
Winds in the sea areas are forecast to be south-westerly with a wind speed of 40-50kmph, going up to 60kmph in the mentioned sea areas, the DMC report said.
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