No threat to SL coast until Sept 6: Met Department

Referring to the oil tanker that is on fire in the seas off the Southern coast of Sri Lanka, the Meteorology Department said the Sri Lankan and Indian coast are not in immediate threat of being affected by oil pollutants.

Issuing an advisory, it said authorities were currently monitoring the oil spill caused by the oil tanker explosion.

“The department, working together with the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services, has run numerical models and simulations based on available data, to identify that the drift pattern of the oil spill will be towards the South and will move offshore by this evening. (September 4),” it said.

According to the simulations, the oil spill is expected to drift towards the South-eastern seas by Saturday evening (September 5).

"The next day, the pollutant drift is towards the North-east and moves offshore. As per the simulations and considering the worst case scenario of spillage, the Sri Lankan coast and the Indian coast are not under threat of being affected by oil pollutants until September 6.

The Met Department estimates the worst case scenario of spillage to be around 70,000 MT of crude oil and 1,700 MT of Diesel oil.

The hypothetical forecasts issued by the Met Department are evaluated routinely for different locations, while the Department will continue to monitor and issue periodic updates. (Sheain Fernandopulle)