Heavy rain above 100 mm and strong winds are expected to persist in several regions across Sri Lanka over the next 36 hours, driven by a deep depression over the Bay of Bengal, the Department of Meteorology said.
The weather system over the west-central and northwest Bay of Bengal is moving west-northwestwards and is likely to cross the northern Andhra Pradesh and southern Odisha coasts in India tonight. While the system poses no direct threat to Sri Lanka, the associated wind patterns drawn toward it are sustaining heavy rainfall in the island’s southwestern parts.
Showers or thundershowers will occur periodically in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and North-Western provinces, as well as in Galle and Matara districts, with heavy falls exceeding 100 mm expected in localised areas. Light showers are also forecasted for the North-Central province and Mannar district.
Additionally, strong gusts between 40 to 50 kmph are expected at times across the western slopes of the Central hills, North-Central and North-Western provinces, as well as Trincomalee, Hambantota and Matale districts. The public is advised to take precautions against lightning hazards and localised high winds during thundershowers. (Newswire)