The Meteorology Department said yesterday the dry wind blowing across Sri Lanka from the Indian Sub Continent was the cause for the delay in the inter monsoon rains and the prevailing dry weather conditions in Sri Lanka.

A spokesman said this weather pattern was unusual for this time of the year because Sri Lanka usually experienced heavy rains in October.

He said the rainfall during the past few days had been low with only the districts of Badulla, Ratnapura and Vavuniya experiencing a rainfall of more than 100 mm during the previous week while no

rain was experienced in the districts of Batticaloa, Mannar, Galle and Puttalam.

The districts of Habantota and Jaffna experienced only about one mm of rain.

The spokesman said the Laxapana, Kotmale and Samanalawewa hydro catchments received a rainfall of more than 100 mm of rain.

However the Meteorology Department said rains were expected during the coming weeks with the possibility of evening thunder showers.