Red alert issued as heavy rainfalls affect over 3,700 people countrywide

Friday, 15 May 2026 06:56 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Meteorology Department issued a red warning for heavy rainfall, forecasting extremely heavy showers exceeding 150 mm in several parts of the country, as adverse weather conditions continue to disrupt daily life and trigger flood and landslide concerns.

The warning, issued by the department’s Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre at 5:30 p.m. yesterday, remains in effect until 8:30 a.m. today (15), with the most severe rainfall expected in the Western Province, Sabaragamuwa Province, and North Western Province, as well as the districts of Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Galle, and Matara.

Authorities also warned that parts of the Northern Province could receive rainfall exceeding 100 mm.

Weather officials said the low-pressure system located northeast of Sri Lanka continues to influence local weather, although current forecasts suggest it may gradually move away from the island over the next 48 hours.

According to the latest situation reports issued yesterday, six provinces including Sabaragamuwa, Southern, Uva, Eastern, Western, and North Western have already been affected by the heavy rains, impacting 1,113 families or 3,745 individuals. One fatality has also been reported from Batticaloa.

The Irrigation Department has separately warned residents living along the banks of Attanagalu Oya and Ma Oya to remain on alert as water levels continue to rise.

Hydrology officials cautioned that continued rainfall in the river catchment areas overnight could trigger minor flooding in surrounding low-lying areas.

Authorities also confirmed that 19 major reservoirs and 18 medium-sized reservoirs across the country are currently spilling due to persistent rainfall.

Meanwhile, landslide warnings issued for 11 districts remain active, while education authorities declared a special holiday for all schools in the Hatton Education Zone today due to the adverse weather.

Officials have instructed that no academic or extracurricular activities be conducted during the closure, urging the public to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions against flooding, strong winds, and lightning.