SL braces for strong El Niño with 63% probability

By Sheain Fernandopulle   

While saying that Sri Lanka is currently in El Niño conditions, Additional Director General of the Department of Meteorology Ajith Wijemanne said Sri Lanka faces a 63% probability of a strong El Niño and a 33% probability of a weak El Niño.  

Additional Director General of the Department of Meteorology Ajith Wijemanne told Daily Mirror that the country could face a series of extreme weather events, including below-normal rainfall, flooding and drought over the coming months.  

Accordingly, the country is expected to receive very little rainfall in August as El Niño begins to influence regional weather patterns.  

However, he warned that rainfall is likely to increase during October and November, raising the risk of flooding in some parts of the country depending on the intensity of the weather system.  

“In the first phase of next year, weather conditions are expected to shift once again, with the possibility of drought affecting water availability, agriculture and other key sectors,” he added.  

The developing El Niño conditions and their potential impacts were extensively discussed at the inaugural meeting of the Special Cabinet Subcommittee and Officials’ Committee held at the Presidential Secretariat under the chairmanship of Environment Minister Dr. Dammika Patabendi.  

Officials noted that Sri Lanka could experience a sequence of weather extremes linked to El Niño, ranging from reduced rainfall and possible floods to prolonged dry spells.  

The committees were appointed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to formulate short, medium and long-term strategies on food security, water resource management and energy conservation, while strengthening coordination among state institutions.  

All relevant ministries and government departments have been instructed to submit action plans within two weeks to prepare for all possible scenarios.  

It was also decided that all official information relating to El Niño would be released solely through the Department of Meteorology to avoid conflicting public statements.  

The Cabinet Subcommittee comprises Ministers K.D. Lal Kantha, Samantha Vidyarathna, Anura Karunathilaka, Wasantha Samarasinghe and Susil Ranasinghe.