Heavy rains caused by the active Southwest monsoon have triggered widespread weather alerts across the country. Disaster Management Centre sources said yesterday that thousands have been affected by flooding, winds and the threat of landslides.
A spokesman for the Department of Meteorology said the rains were expected to intensify in the coming days, particularly in the South-Western region.
Rainfalls over 100mm are forecast in parts of the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-Western Provinces, and in the Galle, Matara, Nuwara Eliya and Kandy districts.
Strong winds of up to 60 km per hour are also expected in many areas, including the Central, Southern, Northern, and North-Central Provinces, and along the coast and in the Trincomalee district. Coastal regions elsewhere may experience winds between 30km/h and 40km/h.
The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) officials said the adverse weather had affected at least 1,757 people from 485 families across nine districts; three houses have been completely destroyed, and a further 1,757 partially damaged. Heavy rainfall and strong winds had disrupted power and railway services in Sri Lanka, with the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) reporting around 55,000 power outages, mainly in Colombo and the surrounding areas. Repair teams have been despatched, and the public has been called upon to report outages via the 1987 hotline or CEB Assist app. Train services on the Puttalam line had been delayed due to fallen trees, with clearance efforts under way.
The river levels have begun to rise but remain below the flood thresholds.
The Department of Irrigation reported notable increases in water levels in several key rivers, including the Kelani Ganga, Kalu Ganga, Gin Ganga and Nilwala Ganga. At Glencourse, the Kelani Ganga reached 11.20 metres, while at Hanwella, it measured 2.72 metres. The Nilwala Ganga at Panadugama rose to 3.68 metres, and the Gin Ganga at Baddegama was recorded at 2.02 metres. The Mahaweli Ganga at Peradeniya recorded a sharp increase from 2.88 to 3.27 metres in one hour.
The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has issued landslide early warnings in four districts, identifying high-risk areas in Elpitiya in the Galle district, Palindanuwara in Kalutara, Pasbage Korale and Ganga Ihala Korale in Kandy, and Aranayake, Ruwanwella, Bulathkohupitiya and Yatiyanthota in the Kegalle district.
The authorities have called upon people living in hilly and previously identified landslide-prone areas to remain alert. The DMC has called on the public to take precautions against lightning strikes, flash floods and earthslips. Those facing emergencies can contact the DMC via the 117 emergency hotline.
