The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has issued Level 3 red landslide evacuation warnings for 12 divisional secretariat divisions in the Galle, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts, with the alert running from 4.00 p.m. today (25) until 4.00 p.m. tomorrow (26), Hiru News reported.
Red is the highest level on the NBRO’s three-tier scale. Residents in the affected zones have been told to move to safe locations immediately if heavy rain persists, given the risk of slope failures, rockfalls, cutting failures and ground subsidence.
Where the red warnings apply
In Galle, the evacuation warning covers Neluwa, Nagoda, Niyagama and Thawalama. In Kandy, it applies to Ganga Ihala Korale, Udapalatha, Doluwa and Pasbage Korale. In Nuwara Eliya, Kothmale West, Ambagamuwa, Kotmale East and Norwood have been placed under the same level.
Level 2 amber warnings extend across six districts, according to Newswire — Elpitiya, Baddegama and Karandeniya in Galle; Walallawita in Kalutara; Deltota, Udunuwara, Gangawata Korale, Yatinuwara and Panvila in Kandy; Aranayake, Dehiowita, Mawanella, Deraniyagala and Yatiyanthota in Kegalle; Thalawakele in Nuwara Eliya; and Ratnapura and Pelmadulla in Ratnapura. Pelmadulla was raised by one warning level in the latest update.
Level 1 yellow alerts remain active across ten districts, with the Nuwara Eliya divisional secretariat division newly added.
What triggers the alerts
The NBRO sets warning levels using cumulative rainfall recorded in each area together with Department of Meteorology forecasts. It has asked for particular care near steep slopes, valleys, man-made cuttings and roads running through areas already mapped as landslide-prone.
Residents have been urged to watch for cracks or subsidence in the ground, leaning trees and utility poles, cracks in buildings built on slopes, and the sudden appearance of springs or muddy water — and to move away at once if any of these appear.
The warnings come as the Meteorology Department has said the weather impact of the Bay of Bengal system is expected to ease as the depression weakens, though rainfall accumulated over recent days continues to keep hill-country slopes saturated.
