Met Dept. forecasts more rain

By Nadia Fazlulhaq, Pic by Saman Kariyawasam.

The Meteorological Department predicted that the wet weather conditions now prevailing that affected more than 150 families in the Kalutara district alone and caused floods and mini earth slips in the Ratnapura and Matara districts would abate by next week.

Pic shows a vendor wading across a flooded by-road off the Kalutara - Horana main road.

Meteorological Department OIC Ranjith Jayasekara warned that heavy showers, thundershowers and strong winds of the South West monsoon might continue for another couple of days before the situation slackens off.

“The increased volume of rainfall was largely helped by winds blowing from the South West and the North West, which is an unusual feature. We hope the situation will ease by next week,” he said.

The Met Department said showers accompanied by strong winds were also expected in the Western, Southern, Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces including the southern parts of the North-western province.

Mr. Jayasekara said the South West monsoon conditions would prevail until mid September.

Meanwhile two deaths due to an earthslip following heavy monsoon rains were reported from the Akuressa Pradeshiya Sabha division in Matara.

Disaster Management Centre official Ramya Siriwansa said a mother and her daughter died when their house was destroyed by an earth slip while another member of the family escaped with serious injuries.

Mother Nilanthi	Her daughter Anjali

“Some 150 houses bordering the estuary in Kalutara were damaged by flood waters. About 200 families living in Walallawita, Matugama, Bulathsinhala in the Kalutara district were some of the those affected by flood waters. The Irrigation Department engineers decided against clearing the estuary as the water level was decreasing,” he said.

Mr. Siriwansa said Elapatha, Kuruwita and Kiriella Pradeshiya Sabha’s in the Ratnapura district were reportedly affected by flood waters.

Matara GA, Gamini Jayasekare said except for the two deaths at Akuressa, there were no reports of displaced families due to floods or earthslips in the district