Inter-monsoon rains expected shortly

By Nadia Fazlulhaq

Despite certain climatic changes prevailing around the country, the inter-monsoon season is about to begin, a Met. Department official said.

“We cannot still predict when there would be heavy rain. It would take some time to have substantial rains. Towards the latter part of the month we may experience significant rains but the warm conditions will remain even in April” said Met. Department Deputy Director S.H. Kariyawasam.

“Isolated thundershowers will develop in the North Western and Sabaragamuwa Provinces and in the Galle and Matara districts during the afternoon and evening. There will be showers at several places in the Eastern, Uva and Central provinces and in the Hambantota district. Thunderstorms could also develop in a few places in the Central, Sabaragamuwa and the Western province and in Galle and Matara districts during the afternoon”, he said.

According to Mr. Kariyawasam, Anuradhapura, Batticaloa, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Trincomalee are the main towns which will receive rain while Colombo, Galle and Ratnapura will experience afternoon thundershowers.

Dr. B.R.S.B. Basnayake of the Centre for Climate Change Studies of the Met. Dept said late evening showers with heavy thunder were generally experienced during inter-monsoon seasons from mid March to April and October-November.

“There will be warm afternoons as the sun overheads Sri Lanka, but chilly sea breezes will blow from ocean to land, causing the formation of rainy clouds in the evenings and nights,” he said.