Met. Dept. warns of bad weather during weekend

The showery weather being experienced in the country were likely to intensify over the weekend in the South-Western parts of the country and in the North Western Province, the Department of Meteorology announced today.

It said strong winds would be experienced across the island particularly in the Northern, North-Central, Uva and North-Western Provinces and the Hambantota District and that the surrounding seas would be quite rough as a result.

According to the report showers or thundershowers could occur at several places in the Uva Province and in the Ampara and Batticaloa Districts after 2 p.m.

It said fairly strong winds gusting between 40 to 50 kmph could occur over the Northern, North-Central, Uva and North-Western Provinces and in the Hambantota District.

“There may be temporary localized strong winds during these thundershowers. The general public is requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by lightning activity as well,” the Meteorology Department added.

Meanwhile, the duty forecaster at the Department of Meteorology said that humidity levels would be between 95 and 75 per cent in the Colombo, Galle and Nuwara-Eliya Districts with wet weather also expected to prevail. The lowest temperature, between 18 to 14 Degrees Celsius was expected in Nuwara-Eliya today (16).

Meanwhile, the Marine Division of the Meteorology Department yesterday warned that it expecting an atmospheric disturbance in the Bay of Bengal after today (16) and advised communities living in close proximity to the sea including the fishing and naval communities to take adequate measures to protect themselves against any loss.

The division said that it would frequently monitor the behaviour of the atmospheric disturbance and had requested the public to contact the Meteorology Department in case of emergency or for information of safe passage in case they need to travel by sea via their hotline 011-2686686.

It warned of the waves in sea areas would be rough and cautioned the public in these areas not to venture out to sea unless they really needed to.