The Department of Meteorology has issued a severe lightning advisory covering most of the island, and two spill gates at the Deduru Oya reservoir have been opened as heavy rain continues.
The lightning warning
The Met Department said there was a high probability of severe lightning with thundershowers during the evening or night in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva, North Western, Northern, North Central and Southern provinces, Hiru News reported.
Rainfall above 100 millimetres was forecast at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Uva, North Western and Southern provinces, and in the Anuradhapura district.
NewsFirst reported the same rainfall forecast and added that showers or thundershowers were expected over most of the island after 1:00 p.m. The public was advised to take precautions against the temporary strong winds and lightning that accompany thundershowers.
116mm at Kirindiwela
The heaviest fall in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Thursday was 116 millimetres, recorded at Kirindiwela in the Gampaha district, according to Hiru.
Deduru Oya releasing 1,400 cubic feet a second
The Department of Irrigation opened two spill gates at the Deduru Oya reservoir by one foot each, releasing water at 1,400 cubic feet per second, NewsFirst reported. Residents in low-lying areas along the Deduru Oya were told to remain alert.
Deduru Oya drains into the North Western dry zone, where the Met Department’s own forecast placed some of the heaviest expected falls.
Context
Sri Lanka records a high number of lightning deaths each year, and the Met Department’s severe-lightning advisories are issued to prompt people to move indoors and away from open ground, isolated trees and water during storms.
This advisory concerns public safety. Separately on Thursday, the Mahaweli Authority asked farmers to rely on rainwater for Maha season land preparation and the Irrigation Department reported five other reservoirs spilling — an irrigation-management matter covered in that report.
Not reported: neither filing says how long the advisory runs, gives a colour-coded warning level, or names the districts within each province expected to see the heaviest rain. Neither reports any casualties, displacement or damage, says whether schools or transport are affected, or gives the current storage level at Deduru Oya or how long the gates will stay open. Neither carries a Disaster Management Centre statement.
