Cloudy skies over Northern, Eastern provinces; evening showers likely

While cloudy skies will prevail over the Northern and Eastern provinces, the National Meteorological Department predicts showers in the Northern, North-Central, Eastern, and Uva provinces, as well as Hambantota and Matale districts.

Showers or thundershowers may occur in a few locations in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces, as well as Galle and Matara districts, they said.

Therefore, the public is advised to take adequate precautions to safeguard themselves from harm caused by gutsy winds and lightning during thundershowers, they said.

Meanwhile, showers could be expected at several places in the sea areas off the coast, extending from Kankesanturai to Galle via Trincomalee, Batticaloa, and Hambantota, they said. 

The wind speeds in the north-east are likely to be in the range of 20–30 km/h, but could gather speed up to 45-50 km/h sporadically over the sea areas off the coast extending from Kankesanturai to Colombo via Mannar and Puttalam and from Matara to Potuvil via Hambantota, the department said.

Fairly rough seas could also be witnessed in sea areas off the coast, extending from Kankesanturai to Colombo via Mannar and Puttalam and from Matara to Potuvil via Hambantota, they added. (Chaturanga Samarawickrama)