The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has issued Level 1 “Remain Vigilant” (Yellow) landslide warnings for nine Divisional Secretariat Divisions across four districts, effective from 4:00 a.m. Friday (12) until 4:00 a.m. Saturday (13), citing prevailing heavy rainfall across the country.
The covered DSDs are Palindanuwara in the Kalutara District; Doluwa in the Kandy District; Ambagamuwa in the Nuwara Eliya District; and Pelmadulla, Ayagama, Ratnapura, Godakawela, Kalawana and Nivitigala in the Ratnapura District.
The Ratnapura cluster — accounting for six of the nine areas under warning — sits at the head of the Kalu River basin, where saturated slopes and high antecedent moisture from sustained southwest monsoon rain have repeatedly produced flooding and landslides this season. NBRO issued a similar four-district set of Level 1 warnings in late May after a landslide-related fatality in Kegalle.
Today’s notice lands amid a week of escalating monsoon impacts: the Department of Meteorology issued an amber strong-wind advisory yesterday spanning the Central, Sabaragamuwa and Northern provinces, and the 12-hour water cut imposed across Mahara and Gampaha reflects ongoing rainfall-driven sediment in the raw-water intake. The Disaster Management Centre has been operating with elevated readiness as the monsoon continues to interact with the forecast El Niño dry-shift due in July–August.
Residents in the alert zones are advised to remain vigilant, monitor early warnings, and avoid steep, fissured or recently disturbed slopes.
Sources: Early landslide warnings issued to residents in four districts — Ada Derana, June 12.
