Be on alert for mild tornadoes

By Nadia Fazlulhaq

The inter-monsoon period may not only bring heavy rains and thunderstorms but also mild tornadoes around the country, a Met Department official warned. Met Department Director K.R. Abeysinghe said it was difficult to forecast the formation of tornadoes but they could be seen as dark grey columns of air with strong winds blowing, but most of the time they were not visible as tornadoes occur during late evening or in the night.

Mr. Abeysinghe said that even though the inter-monsoon period brings evening rains, sometimes due to low-level disturbances in the atmosphere there may be rain throughout the day.

“The inter-monsoon period will continue till the first week of May, and evening thunderstorms will be common during this period.
The monsoon conditions would prevail till mid-May but thunderstorms will be active only during April” he said.

According to Mr. Abeysinghe during the inter-monsoon period thunderstorms and rain clouds form in the hill country and heavy rainfall is common in hilly areas.