Eight people died, ten injured and four missing in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, At least eight people died, ten were injured and four are missing due to the adverse weather conditions prevailing in the country, according to the latest update from the Disaster Management Centre.

Five deaths have been reported from the Central Province and three deaths from the Southern Province due to the strong winds, earthslips, and rough seas experienced since last Thursday. "A total of 583,181 people from 163,988 families have been affected from the inclement weather. The number of houses fully damaged is reported as 55 while 1,527 houses have been partially damaged," Disaster Management Centre sources said.

The Department of Meteorology predicts that the prevailing strong windy conditions will ease to some extent in the next few days. Currently, strong gusty winds up to 40-50 kmph at times are likely over the Western, Southern, Central, Sabaragamuwa, North Western and North Central Provinces and in the Trincomalee district.
Showers will occur at times in the Sabaragamuwa and Central Provinces. Several rainy spells are expected in the North-western, Western and Southern Provinces. Fairly heavy rain falls of about 50 mm are likely in some places in the Central and Sabaragamuwa Provinces.

The Department of Meteorology requests naval units and fishery industry to be vigilant as showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Kankasanturai to Pottuvil via Trincomalee and Batticaloa. Winds will be north-westerly to westerly in the sea areas around the island. Wind speeds will be 40-50 kmph in the sea areas off the coast extending from Mannar to Pottuvil via Puttalam, Colombo, Galle and Hambantota.
These sea areas will be very rough at times as the wind speed can increase up to 60-70 kmph at times. Wind speeds will be 30-40 kmph in the other sea areas around the island and these sea areas will be rough at times as wind speed can increase up to 50 kmph at times.

"Meanwhile, two deaths were reported due to adverse weather conditions experienced in the Galle district," the district's Disaster Management Unit said. The Unit said strong gale force winds had also completely damaged four houses while another 580 homes were partially damaged. A falling tree had injured four persons while three business institutions and several Buddhist temples in the district had been damaged due to the inclement weather condictions.