Depression moves towards India

by Naalir Jamaldeen

The depression in the Bay of Bengal has developed into a tropical cyclone nearly 330 kilometres away to the East of Jaffna. It is moving away from Sri Lanka towards India.

Windy conditions are expected to continue over the Eastern Central hill country, Duty Meteorologist K. Sooriyakumaran told the Sunday Observer yesterday.

Some areas in the Northern, Eastern, North Central and Uva provinces are likely to experience intermittent rain or thundershowers in the afternoon or evening. Nearly 150 millimetres of rainfall are expected in these areas, Sooriyakumaran said.

There will also be intermittent showers or thundershowers in the sea off the coast from Pottuvil to Mannar, Batticaloa and Jaffna, he said.

Winds will blow in a North-westerly direction rotating anti-clockwise and the velocity will be 30 to 50 kilometres per hour. The wind velocity over the sea area off the coast extending from Pottuvil to Puttalam via Jaffna and Batticaloa will be 80 kilometres per hour and 60kmph at times in the other sea areas around the island.

The sea areas off the coast extending from Pottuvil to Puttalam, Jaffna and Batticaloa will be very rough and dangerous while the remaining areas around the island will be rough at times, he said.

The depression still persists about 350 km to the east of Jaffna.