Showers, strong winds to continue in East

by Mohammed Naalir

The atmospheric disturbances in the vicinity of Sri Lanka have intensified into a low pressure area and are in the easterly direction of Sri Lanka. Showers and strong winds will continue in the next 10 days over the country and the suburban seas, Duty Meteorologist M. Sooriyakumar told the Sunday Observer.

The Eastern, Central, Uva and North-Central provinces and Hambantota district will experience showers, at times. Thunder showers will develop in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces during the afternoon and evening, the Duty Meteorologist said.

Monsoonal winds can increase up to 60 kilometres per hour over the country and the surrounding areas. There will be showers in the sea areas, off the Eastern and Southeastern coasts, he said.

The wind velocity will be 30 to 40 kilometres per hour from the North-east direction. The wind velocity may increase up to 50-60 kilometres per hour, at times, especially in the Bay of Mannar sea areas and in the deep sea areas off the Western, Southern, South-eastern, Eastern and Northern coasts, Sooriyakumar said.

The Bay of Mannar sea area and especially the deep sea areas off the Western, Southern, South-eastern, Eastern and Northern coasts will be rough at times. Fishermen have been cautioned to be vigilant, Sooriyakumar said.

Meanwhile, the water level of the Parakrama Samudraya in the Polonnaruwa district, Kawdulla, Ulhitiya and the Rankinda reservoirs is increasing. The sluice gates of these reservoirs have been opened to release excess water, a Disaster Management Centre (DMC) spokesman Lal Sarath Kumara said.

He said that seven sluice gates of the Rankinda reservoir, 10 sluice gates of the Parakrama Samudraya and 12 sluice gates of the Kawdulla reservoir have been opened.