Sri Lanka’s major southwestern rivers continued to recede on Sunday after a week of heavy rainfall, but a small bridge in Ja-Ela has collapsed and the Department of Meteorology has confirmed the southwest monsoon is expected to establish over the island around May 26 or 27, Ada Derana reported.

The Swarna Hansa Podi Ela bridge in Ja-Ela collapsed on Saturday evening, the Disaster Management Centre confirmed, while the main bus route from Ja-Ela to Gampaha remains flooded in the Yakkaduwa area. Several houses along Paris Perera Mawatha and Suduwella in Ja-Ela remain submerged due to overflow from the Attanagalu Oya.

Residents in Ja-Ela have alleged the flooding has worsened because the canal embankment at the start of Paris Perera Mawatha — damaged during Cyclone Ditwah late last year — has still not been repaired, against the backdrop of continuing OCHA-flagged funding gaps that have stalled wider cyclone recovery work.

The Irrigation Department’s 9:30 a.m. report on Sunday confirmed the Kelani River has returned to normal levels. The Kalu River remains in minor flood at Millakanda, with the Kuda River tributary recorded at 6.51 metres against a spill threshold; water levels at Putupawula and Ellagawa remain at “close attention” levels but are easing. Low-lying areas around Ballapitiya in Horana remain inundated, and traffic on the Bulathsinhala–Kalutara road continues to be disrupted by flooding at Diyakaduwa.

The Attanagalu Oya, which had risen sharply in recent days, is also gradually receding, although residents in Dunamale have been advised to remain vigilant. The DMC’s latest update places 28,933 people from 7,482 families across eight districts — including Ratnapura, Gampaha and Kalutara — among those affected by the southwest monsoon weather event that intensified through last week.

Forward conditions remain unsettled. The Meteorology Department has already warned of a week of sustained heavy showers across the south-west, peaking on May 28, with Galle, Matara, Kalutara and Ratnapura tipped as the worst-affected districts. The Kalu Ganga — where the minor flood warning was extended on Saturday — and the Attanagalu Oya basin remain the most exposed catchments if the new monsoon front delivers as forecast.

Source: Ada Derana — Southwest monsoon gradually sets in; Heavy rainfall expected from Tuesday.