The Department of Meteorology has urged the public to take precautions against strong winds and lightning during thunderstorms, particularly in the evening, as unsettled weather conditions are expected to continue across the country.
Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (18), Duty Meteorologist Nadeeka Ranaweera said showers or thunderstorms could develop in almost all parts of the country during the evening due to the prevailing inter-monsoon conditions.
Fairly heavy rainfall exceeding 75 mm, and in some areas reaching 100 mm, is possible across much of the country, she said.
Ranaweera said it was not possible to identify precisely which areas would receive heavy rainfall, as the locations could change from day to day. Heavy showers could affect the Western Province on one day and Kandy or other districts the next, she said.
"The current inter-monsoon conditions are expected to continue until the North-East Monsoon begins in December. However, sudden disturbances developing in the Bay of Bengal, the atmosphere around the island or a cyclone near Sri Lanka could change the weather pattern," she added.
Ranaweera warned that temporary strong winds could develop with the formation of rain clouds and urged the public to take appropriate precautions.
According to the Disaster Management Centre’s (DMC) report issued yesterday, adverse weather had affected 2,106 families comprising 7,651 people across 183 Divisional Secretariat (DS) divisions in 20 districts.
The report recorded eight deaths and 12 injuries. A total of 26 houses had been completely destroyed and 1,390 partially damaged.
Colombo recorded the highest number of houses completely damaged, at 20, while Matara reported the highest number of partially damaged houses, at 197.
Thirteen families comprising 46 people displaced from affected areas were being accommodated at 13 safety centres, where they were provided with essential facilities, including cooked meals.
Meanwhile, Irrigation Department Hydrology and Disaster Management Centre Director Eng. L.S. Sooriyabandara said nearly 157 mm of rainfall had been recorded in the Ratnapura area in the upper reaches of the Kalu Ganga on the night of 17 October.
Around 100 mm had also been recorded at several locations in the upper reaches of the river. Despite the heavy rainfall, there was no flood risk in those areas at the time, he said.
Sooriyabandara said the water level of the Kalu Ganga at Millakanda was high, but there was no indication of a sudden rise.
Rainfall of between 75 and 100 mm had also been recorded in the upper reaches of the Nilwala Ganga during the 24 hours ending at 6 a m yesterday.
A minor flood situation had been reported in low-lying areas of Akuressa and Malimbada near Matara.
Several roads had been submerged, disrupting vehicle movement. These included Akuressa-Pitabeddara Road near Panadugama, Akuressa-Kadduwa Road, Akuressa-Maragoda Road near the Maragoda Dam, Malimbada-Wellathota Road near Meddegoda, Malimbada-Kamburupitiya Road via Kadduwa near Malimbada North Maha Vidyalaya, and Malimbada-Wellathota Road near Piyaddegoda.
The Irrigation Department urged residents in areas experiencing heavy rainfall to take precautions against possible flooding and other weather-related risks.