The Department of Meteorology has issued a ‘Red’ level advisory for strong winds and rough sea conditions covering the northern and north-western coastline, instructing naval and fishing communities not to venture into the worst-affected sea areas until further notice.
Sea areas off the coasts extending from Kankesanthurai to Kalpitiya via Mannar will be very rough at times, with strong gusty winds of up to 60–70 kmph, Ada Derana reported, citing the Met Department. The wider coastal belt from Trincomalee to Kankesanthurai via Mullaittivu and from Kalpitiya to Pottuvil via Colombo, Galle and Hambantota will be rough at times, with strong gusty winds of 50–60 kmph, and fishing and naval communities operating in those waters have been told to remain vigilant.
The Met Department said wave heights may increase to about 2.0–2.5 metres in the sea areas off the coast extending from Mannar to Pottuvil via Colombo, Galle and Hambantota — covering most of the populated southern and western coastline.
The Red advisory is an upgrade in alert tier from the 75mm rainfall forecast covering the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces issued earlier on Saturday and from the Amber strong-wind advisory in force since June 12. It is the first Red-tier sea-state advisory of the current south-west monsoon cycle and pairs with the Irrigation Department warning that the Kalu Ganga and Attanagalu Oya are nearing minor flood level at multiple gauging stations.
The accompanying onshore wind window also raises the risk of falling trees and power outages, particularly along the Castlereigh–Wimalasurendra hydropower corridor where high winds historically translate into transmission-line trips. Coastal districts in the four-district NBRO landslide warning zone — Kalutara, Galle, Kegalle and Ratnapura — should remain alert to saturated-slope failures.
In a parallel notice issued at 6.00 p.m. on Saturday and valid until 6.00 p.m. on Sunday, the Met Department also placed an inland Amber strong-wind advisory over the Central, Sabaragamuwa, Northern and North-central provinces and the Trincomalee and Hambantota districts, where strong winds of about 40–50 kmph can be expected at times due to the same active south-west monsoonal condition. Fairly strong winds of about 30–40 kmph can be expected elsewhere across the island, the department said. The inland Amber zone covers the upland tea estate belt and the hydropower-station catchment areas already under heightened landslide and reservoir-spill stress.
Sources: Ada Derana — ‘Red’ advisory issued for strong winds and rough seas; Ada Derana — Weather advisory issued for strong winds.
