Cyclone churning over Sri Lanka’s northern shores
A low pressure that formed over the Bay of Bengal may turn into a deep depression and further into a cyclonic storm by today, about 490 kilometres northeast of Trincomalee, the Meteorology Department has forecast.
The deep depression is likely to develop into a cyclonic storm in the next two days and may cross westnorthwestward close to the northern coast of Sri Lanka and move towards the Tamil Nadu northern coast in India by Tuesday, December 5.
Many parts of the country may receive heavy rainfall, the department cautioned.
Cloudy skies can be expected over most parts of the island. Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the northern, north- central, eastern, and north-western regions, with heavy showers above 100 mm being forecast.
Until further notice, fishermen and the Navy have been warned not to venture out in the seas off the coast extending from Mannar to Pottuvil via Kankesanturai, Trincomalee, and Batticaloa.
Meanwhile the water levels in the many reservoirs have risen to over 90 percent, the CEB reports. Castlereagh is at 95.9 percent, Maussakele at 95.9 percent, Kotmale at 99.4 percent, Victoria at 98.5 percent, Randenigala at 99.3 percent, and Samanalawewa at 90.9 per
c e n t . The Vi c t o r i a Reservoir was at spill level yesterday.
The railway control room in Diyathalawa said tracks were cleared for railway traffic after a mound of earth col
lapsed on tracks near the Diyathalawa Railway Station.
The Irrigation Department said there are no flood threats, but there is a considerable increase in water levels in Yan Oya in Horowpathana.
So far, 451 people belonging to 133 families face hardships.
According to the Badulla district Disaster Management Centre, people have been evacuated following landslide warnings, and they are being housed at the Koslandawatte tea factory, Dambethenna, Poonagala Tea Factory, Bathgoda Tamil School, Udaperuwa Muslim Mosque, Galkanda Mathuwana School, Kalban Vidyalaya, Glanor Tamil School, Aluthwewa Mosque, and Kanawerella Tamil College.
Level 2 alerts were issued to several areas in the Ratnapura district. Level 1 ( yellow) warnings were issued to areas in Badulla, Kandy, Ke g a l l e, and Ratnapura districts.