The Department of Meteorology says several spells of showers will occur on Saturday in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in the Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Galle and Matara districts.
Showers or thundershowers may also develop at a few places in the Ampara, Monaragala and Batticaloa districts after 2.00 p.m., the department said in a statement issued on Saturday morning.
Mainly dry weather will prevail over the other areas of the island.
Winds of 30-40 kmph in eight areas
Fairly strong winds of about 30 to 40 kilometres per hour can be expected at times over the western slopes of the central hills, the North-Central and North-Western provinces, and in the Mannar, Trincomalee, Hambantota and Matale districts.
The department has asked the public to take adequate precautions to minimise damage from the temporary localised strong winds and lightning that can accompany thundershowers.
Hiru News, which carried the same forecast, reported identical district lists and wind speeds.
Rain and heat on the same day
Saturday’s forecast sits alongside a separate warm weather advisory the department issued a day earlier, which put the heat index at “Caution” level during the daytime on Saturday across the Eastern Province and the Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, Monaragala and Polonnaruwa districts.
The two overlap in the east: Ampara, Monaragala and Batticaloa are forecast to see afternoon thundershowers while also falling within the areas flagged for elevated heat earlier in the day.
The forecasts come as Sri Lanka contends with an El Niño event the Met Department has described as among the strongest in living memory, with authorities monitoring water supply and agriculture through the dry period.
