Five deaths and 6 missing due to adverse weather 

At least five persons have been reported dead and six others missing due to adverse weather conditions as heavy rains were reported overnight in most parts of the country, officials said.

The Disaster  Management Centre confirmed four of the five deaths while saying that more than 13,000 have already been affected due to floods and landslides in different parts of the country.

The highest rainfall was received in the Anamaduwa area, with nearly 300 mm of rainfall overnight ending a near four year drought condition in the region.

The Navy has deployed several of its boats to evacuate persons trapped due to floods in the Galle district while the Air Force has kept its helicopters standyby to help in the evacuation.

The Galle, Matara, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Gampaha are among the areas which have been affected by the floods and landslides while the upcountry areas including Hatton too are receiving heavy showers.

Irrigation officials warned that Colombo too could face mini-floods with the rise of the Kelani river water levels in the next 10 hours.

Several other areas too have experienced mini-floods forcing people to temporarily vacate their homes or remove their goods to higher elevations as their homes have experienced situations where water has flown in.

Some of the schools in the Ratnapura and Kegalle districts in the Sabaragamuwa province  and some schools in the south have been closed.

President Maithripala Sirisena has directed officials to provide relief material to the affected and that the required finance would be provided.