News
Bad weather until next week; Sri Lanka hit by monsoon and low pressure in Bay of Bengal
View(s):By Nadia Fazlulhaq
A combination of weather phenomena will see the prevailing adverse wet weather conditions continuing until mid next week, the Meteorology Department warned.
“Last week there was a low pressure disturbance in the atmosphere which resulted in heavy showers. Also currently we are experiencing the tail end of the South West monsoon hence rains are heavy towards the South West part of the country,” said Dr. Shiromani Jayawardena, Director (Forecasting) at the Meteorology Department.
Aluthgama in Kalutara district. Pic by Thusitha Kumara
The present rains are due to a low pressure area forming in the Andaman sea and Southwest Bay of Bengal. This is likely to intensify into a depression condition by today (23) and turn into a possible cyclonic condition by tomorrow. The rains will then move north towards west Bengal. Occasional showers, gloomy skies will prevail in land areas, while seas will be extremely rough, she said. The Meteorology Department has instructed naval and fishing communities not to go to sea in these areas while alerting those already out at sea to return before a cyclonic storm forms.
“The Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is presently close to our country. This will also contribute to the heavy rains,” she said.
The ITCZ, is a band of low pressure which generally occurs near to the equator. Trade winds of the northern and southern hemispheres come together here resulting in the development of frequent thunderstorms and heavy rain.
Dr. Jayawardena said the present La Niña effect on the Pacific Ocean will also impact the monsoonal rains over Sri Lanka creating flood-triggering heavy rains and wet weather.
The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said this week one person drowned in Kandy in the Gangawatakorale area (see story on drowning below) two died in a landslide in Warakapola, one death was reported in Colombo due to a wall collapsing and another died after being struck by lightning in Muttur. A 47 year-old woman and her 24 year-old son were buried under a large mound of earth from the hill adjoining their house in Warakapola. Police said a 50 year-old man was rescued from the debris.
On Saturday the National Building Research Organization (NBRO) issued an amber alert to areas of Bulathsinhala, Walallawita, Ingririya and Palindanuwara in the Kalutara district.
The NBRO has asked people living in mountainous areas and landslide prone areas to be alert to any cracks that may develop on the ground or the walls of their houses, to slanting trees or fences and the sudden appearance of springs or muddy water.
Colombo, Gampaha and Kalutara districts experienced flash floods. According to the Disaster Management Centre, 116 people are being sheltered in two community halls in Borella and Kaduwela and in Meethotamulla.
With the Attanagalu Oya reaching spill level flash floods were experienced in the surrounding areas of Dompe, Gampaha, Mahara, Katana, Divulapitiya, Biyagama and Attanagalla.
Many homes have been damaged in the Kalutara district with people being affected in the areas of Mathugama, Bulathsinhala and Walallawita.
Both Ratnapura and Kegalle districts have been battered by floods and cutting failures with 514 families in Ratnapura and 94 families in Kegalle being affected. Over 100 houses have been damaged from cutting failures, floods and landslides in the Sabaragamuwa province, DMC said.
Over 13 houses were damaged by heavy rains and strong winds, and 54 families affected in the Kandy district, mainly in the areas of Pujapitiya, Doluwa and Gangawatakorale.
Ambagamuwa, Kotmale and Nuwaraeliya DS divisions in the Nuwaraeliya district experienced landslides and , cutting failures. About 19 houses have been damaged and 81 persons directly affected.
Strong winds and wet weather conditions prevailed in the northern and eastern parts of the country too.
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