While the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) has activated emergency protocols ahead of the recent extreme weather, climate anomalies and infrastructure limitations are posing challenges to response and recovery efforts.

DMC Director of Preparedness Planning Chathura Liyanaarachchi said forecasts shared at the National Monsoon Forum had anticipated near- or below-normal rainfall. 

“What we faced was a severe wind impact with highly localised rainfall – over 426 mm in Puwakpitiya within two hours,” he said, noting such events were increasingly linked to climate change.

Upon receiving the advisory from the Department of Meteorology, the DMC had issued alerts to 12 high-risk districts and coordinated with local authorities to prepare for potential impacts. “We disseminated advisories and requested support from district secretaries and first responders,” Liyanaarachchi said.

The response was guided by the National Emergency Operational Plan, which outlines responsibilities across agencies. The Army, Navy, Police Marine Division, and volunteer groups such as the Red Cross and Life Saving Association played key roles in search and rescue and relief distribution.

Despite these measures, the scale of the crisis overwhelmed some local systems. The Ceylon Electricity Board reported over 29,000 outages, with response times delayed in several areas due to access issues and resource constraints.

“The real challenge is unpredictability,” Liyanaarachchi said. “Local authorities are stretched and recovery takes time, especially under economic pressure.”

He stressed the importance of investing in resilience and improving local response capacities. “Our framework is sound, but climate change is outpacing our ability to predict and respond. We need to adapt faster.”