News
After the mayhem, the Southwest Monsoon expected to mellow down
View(s):By Jayanie Madawala
Strong winds experienced in 15 districts including Colombo caused widespread damage to houses, buildings, hoardings, and caused power interruptions over the past three days.
The extreme weather is expected to ease gradually from tomorrow; but rainfall may continue in the next two days, the Meteorological Department warned.
Further the department said the wind speed, drastically increased along with rainfall, is due to the low-pressure area positions in the Northeast from the Trincomalee district and the lower atmosphere shift it triggered. This has resulted in strong winds blowing across the island. These will be felt in the coastal areas and will move drastically towards Bangladesh in the next two days.
The National Building and Research Organisation has issued early landslide warnings to Galle, Kandy, Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura as heavy rainfall continues in parts of the island.
The Disaster Management Centre reports that more than 5000 people from 11 districts, the majority in the Western, Southern, Uva and Central provinces belonging to 1579 families, faced hardships due to heavy winds.
At least 1545 houses were partially destroyed due to winds while seven individuals were injured. Five were from Colombo while the remaining two were residents of the Nuwara Eliya district.
Many parts of the country, mostly in the Colombo district, sustained significant property damages as strong winds swept on toppling trees and disrupting vehicle movements on Friday (30).
Many Large trees had fallen, according to police reports, in Grandpass, Wijerama, Lesley Ranagala Mawatha in Borella, Grandpass, Bambalapitiya, Dematagoda, Jawatta, and Wellawatte.
In Dematagoda, a wall collapsed at a garment factory injuring three.
A group of fishermen on a boat out in the sea at Balapitiya were rescued by the Sri Lanka Air Force SLAF Bell 412 helicopter.
Heavy winds were experienced in the Polonnaruwa district as well, and the Galnewa-Kalankuttiya road was damaged. Trees were uprooted near the Anamaduwa police station and a shop located in Nagashandiya, Kalutara.
A house was damaged in Nanu Oya Udara Della in the Nuwara Eliya district.
In Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte more than 20 houses and 83 individuals were impacted due to excessive weather conditions, the Divisional Secretariat Kasun Epa Senevirathne said.
Vehicle movements were interrupted due to fallen trees in many places. The Colombo-Kurunegala road, the Anuradhapura-Galnewa road, the Ja-ela-Makawita road and Ginigathhena -Norton Bridge were blocked due to toppling of trees.
A total of 49,724 electricity breakdowns have been reported across the country due to weather conditions, CEB Spokesman Dhammika Wimalarathana said Saturday.
The CEB has already restored 14,231 breakdowns by Friday and is in the process of working to restore power in the remaining areas by Saturday afternoon.
Three sluice gates of the Polgolla Reservoir were opened. Sluice gates were opened to manage potential flood conditions, the office noted. As a result, approximately 4,500 cubic feet per second of water is being released.
Meanwhile the Railway Department has informed that trees had fallen onto key railway lines, including the coastal line, the Main Line, the Kelani Valley Line, and the Puttalam Line.
Clearing operations were carried out but delays in train services on the Main Line, Kelani Valley Line, and Chilaw Line were experienced.
Train traffic on the Kelani Valley Line was disrupted after two trees fell on the tracks between Baseline and Narahenpita railway stations. However the Railway Department has informed they have already restored all the railway tracks damaged.
The Met department warns that Strong winds of about 50-55kmph can be expected at times over Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central, Southern, Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in the Trincomalee district due to the active south-west monsoonal conditions.
Elsewhere winds of around 30-40 kmph are expected due to intensified SW monsoon winds. However the conditions may settle down by the second of June 2025.
Additional reporting by Hiran Priyankara Jayasinghe, Shelton Hettiaarachchi and Rekha Tharangani Fonseka.
Pix by Hiran Priyankara, Prasad Rukmal, Thusitha Kumara de silva, Nilan Maligaspe, Sheltion Hettiarachchi, Hiran Priyankara, M.A.Pushpakumara
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