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Sun bears down on people trapped in homes
While staying indoors for the duration of the quarantine curfew, brace to sweat as Sri Lanka’s heat index will reach an alarming level in the coming days, the Meteorology Department warned while issuing an ‘extreme weather caution’ to 11 districts including Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara.
People are being advised to drink water frequently, to check up on the elderly and the sick, to wear lightweight clothing, while heat cramps, heat exhaustion and even heat stroke are possible.
An extreme weather caution warning is issued when the temperature increases between 31 and 41 degrees Celsius.
Mullaitivu, Mannar, Vavuniya, Puttalam, Kurunegala, Kegalle, Ratnapura and Moneragala are other districts that will suffer from higher temperatures. Kurunegala district recorded a scorching 36 degrees this week, leading the list of districts experiencing the heat.
Meanwhile, people in Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Ampara, Hambantota, Matara and Galle districts will experience fatigue, the weather watchers said.
However, the inter-monsoon season is expected in the coming weeks bringing a few spells of thundershowers to mostly southwestern parts.
“The sun will be directly over our country till April 15. There will be intense solar radiation with no wind. At present there will be only warm temperature in a dry atmosphere. With the thundershowers in the weeks ahead, the temperature will be not only hot but humid as well. There will be a lot of discomfort,” said Dr. Ranjith Punyawardena, Director (Climatology) of the Agriculture Department said.
The National Water Supply and Drainage Board, said water use will increase because of frequent baths and lots of washing and cleaning.
The General Manager of NWSDB, R.H.Ruvinis, advised people to use water with care, as catchment areas are receiving fewer rains and water resources are drying up.
“A every day about 95 bowsers of drinking water go to the hill country and other areas where water sources are dried up due to the hot weather. Though the commercial water demand has gone down due to the curfew, domestic use has increased,” he said.