An intensifying El Niño weather pattern is deepening hot and dry conditions across Sri Lanka, drying up reservoirs and irrigation tanks and placing growing strain on agriculture and hydropower generation, Ada Derana reports.
The Department of Meteorology says the country is now experiencing an El Niño event that could persist for up to a year. Director General Ajith Wijewickrama said the condition is strengthening from a weak to a moderate level, and warned that hot weather is likely to intensify further next month, according to NewsFirst.
The department has issued a heat advisory placing the heat index at “caution” level during daytime across the Eastern Province and the districts of Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya, Polonnaruwa, Hambantota and Monaragala. The public has been urged to remain vigilant.
On the ground, the impact is already visible. Active storage at the Victoria Reservoir — a key hydropower source — has fallen to about 35%, with no rainfall recorded in the preceding 24 hours. In the Trincomalee District, several irrigation tanks, including Kantale, Agbopura and Wan Ela, have reportedly dried up, forcing farmers who depend on them to abandon paddy fields.
Extreme heat has also damaged crops elsewhere, with papaya, eggplant and chilli reported withering in Elayapattuwa, Anuradhapura. Falling reservoir levels are squeezing hydroelectric output at a time of peak demand.
The worsening conditions follow a warning last week from Environment Minister Dr. Dammika Patabendi that El Niño could peak earlier than forecast, bringing both severe drought and bursts of unpredictable rainfall. Authorities have advanced the Maha cultivation season to help safeguard food security.
In a fresh advisory on July 27, the Department of Meteorology urged the public to use water and electricity sparingly as the El Niño phenomenon continues, cautioning that it could last a further eight to 10 months — potentially into the first quarter of 2027 — and strengthen between October and December before gradually easing. Temperatures in Trincomalee, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu and Batticaloa have already exceeded 35°C, and the department advised people to avoid prolonged outdoor exposure between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. and to stay hydrated. Some showers were forecast for parts of the western and hill-country districts around July 29, but predominantly hot, dry weather was expected to continue in the north, north-central and eastern regions.
