The Department of Meteorology has issued a warm weather advisory for the Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Polonnaruwa, Batticaloa, Ampara and Monaragala districts.
The heat index is likely to rise to “Caution” level at some places in those seven districts during the daytime on Sunday (16), the department said.
What the index measures
The heat index is the temperature felt on the human body, and the department calculates its forecast using relative humidity together with the maximum temperature. It is a measure of perceived heat rather than of air temperature alone, so a moderate reading combined with high humidity can produce a higher index.
At Caution level, the department said, prolonged exposure to the sun and outdoor activity will result in fatigue, and continuing that activity could lead to heat cramps.
Residents in the affected districts have been asked to stay hydrated and to limit strenuous outdoor activities.
A second day of the same warning
The same seven districts were placed under a Caution-level heat index advisory for Friday daytime, in a warning issued during a dry spell that has affected more than 68,000 people across four districts.
The advisory covers the dry-zone districts of the north, east and south-east, and sits alongside a separate forecast of showers in Sabaragamuwa and four other districts in the wetter west and hill country.
National reservoir storage has fallen to 37% of capacity, and a Cabinet sub-committee is due to review the weather situation on Monday. The department has forecast that El Niño conditions will persist until next April.
A consultant paediatrician has separately warned that swings between heat and rain raise health risks for children, urging parents to keep them hydrated.
