The Department of Meteorology has warned of heavy falls above 100 millimetres at some places across the country’s southwest and central highlands from Wednesday (3), with strong winds and rough seas expected to intensify over the next few days.
Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in the Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya districts, the Met Department said in a forecast issued at 2.00 pm on Tuesday. Heavy falls above 100 mm are likely at some places in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. Strong winds of 40–50 kmph can be expected at times across the island.
Showers or thundershowers will also occur at several places in the sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Hambantota via Colombo and Galle. South-westerly winds will blow at 30–40 kmph in those sea areas, with gusts up to 50–60 kmph in waters from Mullaittivu to Pottuvil via Kankasanthurai, Mannar, Puttalam, Colombo, Galle and Hambantota — effectively the entire western and southern coast.
Those sea areas will be rough at times, with wave heights rising to 2.0–2.5 metres from Kalpitiya to Pottuvil via Colombo, Galle and Hambantota. Other sea areas around the island will be fairly rough at times.
The public has been asked to take precautions against temporary localised strong winds and lightning. The advisory comes as the southwest monsoon, which formally set in on May 19, continues to drive a week of heavy showers across the wet zone and follows back-to-back rough-seas advisories issued at the end of May.
Sources: Newswire, Ada Derana.
