Cyclone months are here again

November and December have been noted as the most vulnerable months for cyclones in Sri Lanka with the threat becoming greater after Cyclone ‘Sidr’ hit Bangladesh and cyclonic conditions taking place east of Vietnam. Meteorology Department Deputy Director S.H. Kariyawasam said since 1881 more cyclones have affected Sri Lanka during November and December, compared to other months.

“The recent cyclone which hit Sri Lanka was on December, 26, 2000 with the ‘eye’ of the cyclone being in Trincomalee. Around eight deaths were reported and number of properties damaged,” he said. In the Atlantic and eastern Pacific, including the Hawaiian islands, they are called ‘hurricanes’, in the western Pacific they are called ‘typhoons’ and in the southern Pacific and the Indian Ocean they are called ‘cyclones’.

“By the first week of December, the north-east monsoon winds would start blowing and there’s a great effect on cyclones from the Bay of Bengal. When Cyclone ‘Sidr’ hit Bangladesh, Sri Lanka too experienced heavy showers and strong winds. Usually if a cyclone comes to a country like Sri Lanka, the whole country would be affected,” said Mr. Kariyawasam.

Met. Dept. Meteorologist in-charge H.R. Jayasekera said a cyclone usually starts as a low disturbance with showers and thunderstorms, develops gradually intensifying into a depression finally turning out to be a cyclone. He said the public should be more vigilant as showery conditions may cause landslides and floods, strong winds may cause property damage while severe thunder may not only affect properties but also claim human lives.

“The first step is to evacuate coastal areas and go to safer areas. If indoors, it would be better to cover the windows with wooden boards,” he said. He said that when compared to countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar, India and Vietnam, Sri Lanka is less vulnerable but that should not blind us to the fact that climate changes could occur.

According to the Met. Department, today (Sunday) the wind flow would strengthen and there would be more thunderstorms and heavy showers in the East and in north eastern parts of the country. In the south-west evening showers could be expected with thunderstorms and strong winds. The Met Department also requests that every household keep a battery-operated radio for emergency broadcasts.

On Thursday the National Building Research Organization advised the public in the Sabaragamuwa province to be watchful of landslides. Health Ministry Epidemiology Unit Deputy Director Dr. Pabha Palihawadane said there may be a risk of water- borne and mosquito-borne diseases spreading during this rainy season and requested the public to be more careful and take necessary steps to prevent any epidemics.

“These days there is an increasing number of ‘leprospirosis’ patients and this has a direct relation with rains and cultivations. We also see an increase in dengue patients in the last two months compared to the first six months of the year,” she said.