Average annual rainfall dropped in 16 districts in SL

By Yohan Perera  

The average annual rainfall dropped in 16 districts in Sri Lanka as of end December 2020, the Department of Meteorology said yesterday.  

The average rainfall of Badulla has dropped  by 50 percent, Mannar by 29 percent, Vavuniya by 13 percent, Trincomalee by 3.8 percent, Puttalam by 19 percent, Polonnaruwa by 14 percent, Kurunegala by 32 percent, Matale by 18 percent, Ampara by 15 percent, Kandy by 41 percent, Nuwara Eliya by 18 percent, Gampaha by 18 percent, Colombo by 16 percent, Kalutara by 44 percent, Ratnapura by 17.4 percent and Hambantota District by 35 percent.  
The Department of Meteorology Climatologist Malik Fernando told Daily Mirror that there could be several reasons for the rainfall reduction which included the La Nina situation which is prevailing in the Pacific Ocean. “We have not studied the exact reason for the rainfall reduction,” he said.  
La Niña is a weather pattern that occurs in the Pacific Ocean. In this pattern, strong winds blow warm water at the ocean’s surface from South America to Indonesia.  
Meanwhile showers or thunder showers exceeding 100mm will occur in a few areas in the country as a result of active cloudiness that is prevailing in the Eastern and South-eastern and Uva provinces of Sri Lanka, the Department of Meteorology said yesterday.  

Heavy showers exceeding 100mm are expected in Polonnaruwa, Matale, Nuwara-Eliya and Hambantota districts. Showers above 75 mm can be expected at some places in Sabaragamuwa and the Western Provinces and in Galle and Matara Districts.  

The Department forecasted that showers or thunder showers will occur in the sea areas extending from Trincomalee to Hambantota via Batticaloa.  

“The possibility for heavy showers or thundershowers and sudden roughness, associated with sudden increase of wind speed (up to 70-80 kmph) in the above given deep sea areas is high,” the Department also said.  
Naval and fishing communities were requested to be vigilant in this regard in the above sea areas. 

• There could be several reasons for the rainfall reduction which included  the La Nina situation prevailing in the Pacific Ocean