The Department of Meteorology has forecast showers at times on Sunday (2) in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-Western provinces and in the Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Galle and Matara districts.

Fairly heavy rainfall of about 50 mm is likely at some places in the Sabaragamuwa province and in the Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Kalutara, Galle and Matara districts, the department said.

Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and in the Ampara and Batticaloa districts after 2.00 p.m. Mainly dry weather will prevail over the rest of the island.

Strong winds of about 40-50 kmph can be expected at times over the North-Central, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Central and North-Western provinces and in the Trincomalee district.

The department asked the public to take adequate precautions to minimise damage from temporary localised strong winds and from lightning during thundershowers.

A step down from Saturday

Sunday’s forecast marks an easing of the wet spell that ran through the weekend. The Amber advisory for heavy rain issued on Saturday — which put rainfall above 100 mm across broadly the same area — was in effect only until 6.00 a.m. on Sunday. The 50 mm forecast for Sunday is half that advisory threshold, and the morning bulletin was issued as a routine forecast rather than a warning.

The affected wind areas have also shifted again. Saturday afternoon’s revised bulletin named the Northern, North-Central, North-Western, Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces along with the Monaragala, Hambantota and Trincomalee districts. Sunday’s list drops the Northern province and both of those districts, and returns the Southern province.

Saturday’s rain left consequences still being worked through. The Mahaweli River burst its banks at Peradeniya and Nawalapitiya, submerging a bridge repair site and sixteen houses, and the Irrigation Department issued a minor flood warning for low-lying areas of the Kelani River valley.

The rain remains concentrated in the island’s south-west, driven by the active south-west monsoon, while the dry zone stays largely rainless.