News
Merciless heat
The hot weather will continue until mid-September, driven by the sun now positioned directly above Sri Lanka and a drop in winds, the Department of Meteorology said.
Taking cover
Limited cloud cover is causing the ground to heat up to high levels, and any breezes that blow are also laden with heat, the department’s Deputy Director of Forecasting, Meryl Mendis, said. August is generally considered a dry month, he pointed out, adding that oppressive condition would subside with the onset of inter-monsoonal rain and that later, monsoon winds, which can reach 50kph, would bring relief.
“Despite the hot weather conditions, rains can be experienced in several districts including the Central Province, Eastern Province and Uva,” Mr. Mendis said.
The Director of the Water Management Unit of the Department of Irrigation, D. Abeysinghe, said overall water levels were good, with reservoirs at 40 per cent of capacity.
“Currently we have no risk: we can give the farmers water from the reservoirs,” he said.
There could be problems later if insufficient rains fell, he warned. “We can continue until the end of this month with irrigation water but we’ll be unable to service a whole season with the existing 40 per cent capacity,” he said.
The Maha cultivation season will commence on October 1, and favourable weather is expected by October 10.
Thirst quencher
Currently, around 50,000 acres are under green gram cultivation, Mr. Abeysinghe said. He expected a harvest of turmeric, planted on 300 acres in the Ampara area, to yield a harvest in about three months.
The next wave of heavy rains is expected only in mid-November. “With the onset of the north-east monsoon season by that time we can start the Maha season,” Mr. Abeysinghe said.
National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) Senior Scientist Sarath Premasiri said air pollution levels had dropped due to the coronavirus shutdowns but that with schools reopening pollution levels could rise again.