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Nuwara Eliya blowing cold and hot; people falling sick
The weather in Nuwara Eliya is making people sick with patients seeking treatment in hospitals, a medical official said.
Nuwara Eliya Hospital Director Dr Anura Jayasekera said the extreme cold weather experienced at night and early hours of the day and the increase in temperature towards afternoon had resulted in people suffering from skin ruptures, skin infections and bouts of asthma.
He said there were also cases of heart patients suffering from stress due to the cold weather.
Meanwhile, the Meteorology Department said usually the cold spell eased by early February, but the current weather of extreme cold in the mornings and hot afternoons was due to the lack of clouds.
Weather forecaster Malith Fernando said the sun’s rays were falling on Sri Lanka directly these days due to the lack of clouds. As a result the heat from the earth also escapes faster, hence the cold weather at night and early morning.
In the past weeks the lowest temperature was reported from Nuwara Eliya with 6.9 C on January 29. In the past couple of days it has been 10 C.
Morning mist in Nuwara Eliya. Pix by Shelton Hettiarachchi
This week the highest daytime temperature in the country was recorded in Hambantota with 37 C, while Colombo’s highest was 35.5 on Wednesday.
“Clouds are not forming due to cool dry winds coming from arid land areas from the north east with water droplets also not forming. Therefore the sky remains clear,” he said.
Mr Fernando said if the wind pattern changes the weather conditions could improve.
