The Irrigation Department has issued an emergency flood advisory for the next 48 hours.
Accordingly, the department warns that severe flooding is possible in areas related to the lower Deduru Oya basin.
Water levels are already rising in several administrative divisions belonging to the Deduru Oya basin. The Divisional Secretariat divisions affected by this situation are Wariyapola, Nikaweratiya, Mahawa, Kobeigane, Bingiriya, Pallama, Chilaw, Arachchikattuwa and Rasnayakepura.
The upper and middle parts of the Deduru Oya basin have received significant rainfall over the past 24 hours and the outlet gates of the Deduru Oya reservoir are already releasing water into the Deduru Oya at a high rate of 33,000 cubic feet per second.
The Department emphasizes that immediate attention should be paid to this situation.
The Irrigation Department has also drawn attention to the possibility of severe flooding in the low-lying areas along the Kumbukkan Oya within the next 12 hours from now.
The Irrigation Department further informs that there is a possibility of flooding in the low-lying areas along the Nilwala, Kelani River, Badulu Oya and Mahaweli River in the Monaragala Divisional Secretariat Division – Nakkala, Kumbukkan and Maduru Katiya, in the Buttala Divisional Secretariat Division – Okkampitiya and Gaminipura.
The low pressure area southeast of Sri Lanka has now intensified into a depression and is centered 210km southeast of Batticaloa, latitude 5.9°N and longitude 82.6°E. It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and intensify further into a deep depression during the next 12 hours.
Fishing and navigation activities are advised to refrain from deep and shallow sea areas around the island until further notice. The fishing and navigation community is requested to pay attention to further advisories issued by the Department of Meteorology in this regard.
Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the sea areas around the island. Very heavy showers may occur at some places accompanied by strong winds from the northeast to the north.