The Department of Meteorology has again forecast fairly heavy rainfall exceeding 75 mm at some places in the Sabaragamuwa province and in the Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts on Wednesday (5), leaving the threshold unchanged from Tuesday.

Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-Western provinces and in the Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Galle and Matara districts, the department said, with cloudy skies prevailing over those areas through the day.

Showers or thundershowers may occur at several places in the Uva and Eastern provinces and in the Mullaitivu district after 2.00 p.m.

Strong winds of 40 to 50 km/h are expected at times over the North-Central, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Central and North-Western provinces. The department urged the public to take precautions against damage from temporary localised strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

The easing has stalled

The 75 mm figure marks the first day since the spell began that the heavy-rain threshold has not moved. Sunday’s bulletin put falls at 50 mm, Monday’s doubled that to 100 mm, and Tuesday’s stepped it back down to 75 mm in what read as the start of a recovery. It has now held flat.

That is a slower improvement than the department itself signalled. Met Director General Ajith Wijemanna said on Monday that the spell would weaken around midday on Tuesday, and warned that a Pacific typhoon could push rain back onto the hill country after August 6.

The heavy-rain zone has not shifted either. Sabaragamuwa, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya are named together for a fourth consecutive day.

Two elements did drop out of Wednesday’s bulletin: the several spells of showers forecast for the North-Central province on Tuesday, and the Trincomalee district from the strong-wind list.

Falling on saturated ground

The same districts are absorbing the accumulated water from the weekend. The spell has killed eight people and affected 11,832 across nine districts, and the Kotmale Reservoir spill gates were reopened on Wednesday morning with towns along the Mahaweli told to stay alert.

Government schools across Kandy and Nuwara Eliya reopen on Wednesday, except in the Hatton Education Zone.