Over 40,000 families affected by drought

More than 40,000 families in Sri Lanka are said to be affected by drought by today as the country joined the world in marking international Day to combat desertification and drought, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said.

Accordingly, more than 40,000 families were facing drinking water shortages. As per the data put out by the DMC, some 214,083 persons belonging to 60,944 families have been affected by adverse weather conditions including floods, drought and strong winds.

Meanwhile, the Department of Meteorology predicted heavy falls exceeding 50mm in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and Central provinces and Galle District.

Showers or thunder showers are expected also in Matara, Hambantota, Batticaloa and Ampara Districts.

Temporary localized strong winds are expected during thunder showers. The general public was requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by lightning.

Several places including Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura District received around 40mm of rains as of last afternoon. (Yohan Perera)