Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in the Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Galle and Matara districts on Monday, the Department of Meteorology said in its morning bulletin.

Several spells of showers may occur in the North-western province. In Uva province and in the Ampara, Batticaloa and Mullaitivu districts, showers or thundershowers may develop at a few places after 2.00 p.m.

Winds ease for a second day

Strong winds of about 30-40 kmph can be expected at times over the North-central, North-western, Central and Southern provinces and the Trincomalee district.

That is a step down from Sunday’s bulletin, which put winds at 40-50 kmph and also named Sabaragamuwa province. Sabaragamuwa has now been dropped from the wind advisory, while Mullaitivu has been added to the districts expecting afternoon thundershowers.

For a second consecutive day the forecast carries no rainfall quantity, after a week in which the department repeatedly warned of falls above 75 mm and, at one point, around 100 mm.

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

Southeastern seas stay closed

At sea, the stretch from Matara via Hambantota to Pottuvil can be rough or very rough at times, and fishing and naval communities have been told not to venture into those waters until further notice, Hiru News reported.

That keeps the southeastern zone shut beyond the Red-level advisory issued on Sunday, which had been set to lapse at 7.00 a.m. on Monday. Monday’s bulletin extends the no-go instruction without attaching a fixed expiry time.

Seas from Batticaloa via Trincomalee, Kankesanthurai and Mannar to Chilaw, and from Galle to Matara, can be rough at times, and the department asked mariners on those stretches to stay alert.

Rain over an exam and an open spill gate

The forecast covers the opening day of the Advanced Level examination, with 372,310 candidates travelling to 2,532 centres on specially deployed transport. Four of the districts expecting showers at times — Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Galle and Matara — sit in that morning travel window.

Upcountry, a spill gate at the Kotmale reservoir was opened on Sunday evening, releasing about 20 cubic metres a second into the Kotmala Oya, with residents downstream asked to stay alert.

Sources: Ada Derana, Hiru News.