• Severe hot weather to continue until mid-April

By Sheain Fernandopulle

Referring to the prevailing hot weather in the country, an expert from the Meteorological Department said it would be advisable for people to avoid unnecessary exposure to sunlight and to drink plenty of fluids on a frequent basis.

Dr.Shiromani Jayawardena, Director (Forecasting) at Meteorological Department told Daily Mirror it is normal to experience hot weather in April and May.
However, she urged people to avoid overexposure to the sun and to stay  in the shade, whenever possible.” Overexposure to the sun may lead to complexities in certain individuals and thus it is good for everyone to stay away from the sun, Dr Jayawardena added.

Meanwhile, Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Department of Meteorology Director General Athula Karunanayake said the sun’s overhead position would be from April 05 and thus the climate could get hotter thereafter. In response to a query on the duration of the hot spell, Karunanayake said though it is expected to disappear by mid-March with the onset of monsoonal rains, it may further prevail until mid-April with no positive signs in terms of rains.
Thus, it will take more than a month to experience considerable spells of showers that will bring changes to the prevailing hot weather condition, Karunanayake said.

There can be minor spells of showers in the meantime. However, it would be insufficient for the existing hot climatic conditions to fade away, he added. The maximum temperature of 36.3c was reported from Kurunegala yesterday.