There will be widespread rainfall till the end of January, with showers and thunderstorms affecting various parts of the island, according to a spokesman for the Meteorology Department. The rains will continue, but heavy downpours that could lead to flooding are unlikely this week.
Duty officer Dulari Weerasinghe said, “While there will be frequent showers or thundershowers till the end of the month, we don’t expect heavy rainfall that could trigger floods.” There will be showers or thunderstorms in the Uva and Southern provinces and in the Ampara, Batticaloa, Matale and the Nuwara Eliya districts today.
The Northern Province is also likely to experience several spells of rain, while light showers are expected in the North-Central and North-Western Provinces and the Trincomalee district.
The heaviest rainfall will be in the evening and night, as showers or thundershowers hit various locations across the island.
The Uva, Western, Sabaragamuwa, and Southern Provinces, along with Nuwara Eliya and the Matale districts, could receive heavy rainfall — up to 75mm — at times.
There will be strong winds, reaching 30-40 km/h, particularly in the Eastern slopes of the Central hills, and the Northern, North-Central and North-Western Provinces, including Matale and the Hambantota districts. Mist is expected to persist in the mornings in parts of the Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces, and in the Galle and Matara districts.
As thundershowers will continue across the island, the public should take precautions to minimise damage from sudden localised strong winds and lightning.
