Nasty storms, destructive winds continue to pound island

Heavy rains, sometimes accompanied by strong winds, lashed many parts of the country including Colombo, Gampaha, Kandy, Galle, Ratnapura and Matara Districts, but sporadic rains in the drought- stricken areas, were insufficient to bring any relief, weather officials said.

Meteorologists warn of thunderstorms, lightning, flashfloods, rock falls and landslides.

Occasional showers or thunderstorms will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Central and North- Western Provinces. Fairly heavy rainfall (more than 75 mm) can be expected, forecasters said.

The Department of Meteorology warned of strong winds at times (up to 50 kilometres per hour) can be expected over the island (especially in the western slope of the central hills) and gale force winds at times in the surrounding coastal areas (up to 60-70 kmph).

Director of Forecasting, A. K Karunanayake, said the pattern of rain will vary until at least the 26th of this month.

Mornings will still be warm, while in the evenings there will be strong, spiralling winds that could uproot trees and rip off roofs.

He said dry zone areas such as Moneragala and Puttalam will receive the heaviest inter-monsoonal showers.

Heavy showers within a short period of time can also cause flash floods. During the end of last year, floods in most parts of the country destroyed paddy cultivations and displaced families in rural and urban areas.

Anuradhapura District, which is facing severe agricultural losses and drinking water problems, received 1.1 mm of rain after several months, while Polonnaruwa also hard hit by the drought, received 10.5 mm of rain on Friday. Several areas in Puttalam, Jaffna, Hambantota and Batticaloa experienced localised showers.

The life span of a thundercloud is short and there could be fatal lightning strikes during that brief period, he said, advising extreme precautions.

According to Mr. Karunanayake, if the time interval between a lightning flash and a thunder clap is less than 15 seconds, one should seek shelter in a protected area as there is imminent danger of the lightning striking nearby.

He said the decrease in annual rainfall would af fect the hydro-catchment areas and would have an impact on the water resources of Sri Lanka. “Of the total water received from heavy rainfall, 37 percent goes as surface runoff, while 63 percent is retained. Of this, 59 percent evaporates,” he said.