The Sri Lankan Department of Meteorology (DHM) issued a weather forecast at 0530 hours (local time) on Saturday (29 November), with updates on Cyclone Ditwah, which was centered about 70 kilometres (km) northwest of Trincomalee at 2330 hours (local time) on Friday (28 November), and is very likely to move north-northwestward, reaching near the Tamil Nadu coast in India by Sunday (30 November). As a result, the prevailing rainfall conditions are expected to reduce by Sunday (30 November) in Sri Lanka.
The following are the additional details:
• On Saturday (29 November), intermittent showers or thundershowers will occur over the Northern, North-Central, Central, and Northwestern Provinces, including heavy rainfall above 100 millimetres (mm) likely at some places in these areas. In addition, showers or thundershowers will also occur in the Sabaragamuwa and Western provinces, as well as in Galle and Matara districts.
• Heavy rainfall above 50 mm is also expected in some parts of Sabaragamuwa and the Western Province, while showers or thundershowers may also occur at several places elsewhere on the island. Very strong wind conditions of 60-70 km/h, gusting up to 80-90 km/h, can be expected over most parts of the island.
• As of Saturday (29 November), the number of deaths reported owing to the prevailing weather conditions across the country has reportedly increased to 123, as noted by the Disaster Management Centre. This includes 130 individuals who are reported missing, while 51 deaths have been reported from the Kandy district, with 67 others that remain missing. A total of 35 deaths have been reported from the Badulla District, while 27 individuals remain missing.
• Nine deaths have been reported from Kegalle, eight from Matale, six from Nuwara Eliya and five from Ampara. Meanwhile, due to the impact of Cyclone Ditwah, a total of 373,428 individuals from 102,877 families have been reportedly affected, and as of Saturday (29 November), around 43,925 individuals have been relocated to 488 safety centres.
• The Sri Lanka Tourism has announced an emergency hotline to assist tourists in Sri Lanka affected by the prevalent inclement weather conditions, which can be contacted via the hotline 1912, and is operational 24/7.
• Similarly, the Sri Lankan Police has also established the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Special Operations Unit to provide information on the Emergency Disaster Situation, amid evacuation notices that have been issued to residents in several affected regions. To ensure effective coordination during this emergency and to deliver essential assistance, an IGP Special Operations Unit has been set up at Police Headquarters under the direct supervision of the IGP.
• The police are reportedly working in collaboration with the Tri-Forces and Disaster Management Centre officials, as disaster-response equipment such as boats and diving gear has also been prepared for immediate deployment.
• In addition, the Sri Lankan Navy further stated that the operation to rescue passengers of a bus that was trapped due to floods on the Kala Oya bridge on the Anuradhapura–Puttalam road has been completed as of Saturday (29 November), with 67 passengers rescued. Meanwhile, some of the rescued persons have been admitted to Nochchiyagama Regional Hospital.
• The Department of Irrigation has issued major flood warnings to several areas due to a rise in the water levels of several rivers, effective from 0930 hours (local time) on Saturday (29 November), in the areas of Hanwella and Glenclose due to a rise in the water level of the Kelani River.
• Major flood warnings have also been issued to the Millakanda area due to a rise in the water level of the Kalu Ganga, the Badalgama and Girulla areas due to rising water levels in the Maha Oya, and the Dunamale area due to a rise in the water levels of the Attanagallu Oya. Meanwhile, minor flood warnings have been issued to Nagalgama Street (Kelani River), Elagawa and Ratnapura (Kalu Ganga), Kataragama (Menik Ganga), and Horowpathana (Yan Oya).
• Additionally, the department has also issued flood alerts to Kithulgala (Kelani River), Putupaula and Magura (Kalu Ganga), and Thalgahagoda (Nilawa River), while a critical flood warning is issued to the Maha Oya Basin, stating that there is a potential for a High-Risk Flood Situation in the next 24 hours, starting from 0830 hours (local time) on Saturday (29 November).
• Meanwhile, the highest rainfall reported in the last 24 hours as of 0600 hours (local time) on Saturday (29 November) has been recorded in the Nillambe area in the Kandy District, recording 431.2 mm of rainfall. According to the Disaster Management Centre, over 250 mm of rain has been recorded in the Dotheloya Estate area in Kegalle (277.8), Pokkanai in Kilinochchi (274), and the Manikdhiwela area in Kandy (266.2).
• Between 200 mm- 250 mm of rainfall has been recorded in some areas of the Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle, Gampaha, and Kurunegala districts, and between 180mm and 200 mm of rainfall has been reported in some areas of the Kurunegala, Kegalle, Mannar, and Colombo districts.
