Impactful deep depression to hit Sri Lanka today

• Sri Lanka will be battered by more rainfall 

By Yohan Perera and Huzefa Aliasger 

Depression in the Bay of Bengal will head for deep  depression today, exacerbating wind speed and rainfall, a meteorologist  said yesterday.   

Due to the low-pressure area located close to Sri Lanka, weather conditions are expected to get more adverse in the coming days,  an official mentioned.   

“Its impact is high, heavy thunderstorms and strong winds  are expected, the situation has turned into a deep depression and heavy  thundershowers are to be expected, “Meteorologist Malith Fernando said.    

He said it is one of the most impactful depressions developed in the Bay of Bengal at a point close to Sri Lanka.  

Inclement weather conditions that have caused torrential rainfall have inconvenienced a few students who are  sitting for the G.C.E. Advanced Level examination in Matara District as  army trucks were used to get them to the examination halls,  Commissioner General of Examinations Amith Jayasundara said yesterday.   

Students in Malimbada, Thalduwa and Narangala had to be  taken to the examination halls as the roads in the respective areas were  flooded. “Army trucks had to be used to take these students to the  examination halls. However, the examination took place in these areas  despite adverse weather conditions,” Mr. Jayasundara told the media.  

“Tri forces, the police, Disaster Management Centre (DMC)  and the Examinations Department are kept on alert to help students to  get to the examination centres if needed following the warning issued by  the Department of Meteorology of adverse weather conditions,” he added.    

Some parts of Kattankudy Town were underwater because of torrential rainfall in the Batticaloa District. Transportation in the area was reported to be at a standstill.

Fishing in Ambalangoda, Galle, Matara and Mullaitivu went  on a standstill as well after DMC advised the fishermen to avoid  venturing into the sea. Seas outside the island from Mannar to  Hambantota was expected to be rough and the fishermen were advised to  refrain from going into the sea.  

Two spill gates from Angamuwa Tank and six gates from  Rajanganaya Tank were open while low-lying areas including more than 60  acres of paddy land in Polonnaruwa were said to be underwater. Water  levels in Gin Ganga and Nilwala River were said to be rising. Some roads  in Badulla has become impassable due to rains and earth-slips.   

Landslide warnings were issued by the National Building  Research Organisation (NBRO) for Badulla, Galle, Kegalle, Nuwara-Eliya  and Ratnapura.   

 Cloudy skies are expected over most parts of the island  due to the influence of this system. Rains exceeding 100 mm are expected  in Northern, Eastern, North Central and Uva Provinces during the coming  days.   

 Director General of the Disaster Management Centre Udaya  Herath mentioned that 14 medical centres have been set up in Mannar and  Kilinochchi and over 30 families have been admitted to these centres. A  total of 16,287 people in the North have been affected by the weather.  

“The weather conditions are going to intensify today and  the day after Mr Udaya told the Daily Mirror. The DMC has sent  guidelines to each district and is coordinating with the district level  officials on weather reports.   

A special emergency operation centre will be initiated 24  hours for monitoring and providing assistance for A Level examinations,  the DMC confirmed. This operation is expected to run until 20 December  and will help in the transportation of candidates under adverse weather as  well as providing information on weather situations.

Additional reports by D. G. Sugathapala, Prasad Rukmal and T. L. Jauferkhan