The Irrigation Department has issued an ‘Amber’ flood warning for possible floods in the low-lying areas of several river basins including Kalu, Kelani, Gin, Nilwala, Deduru Oya, Maha Oya, Attanagalu Oya, Kala Oya and Malwathu Oya, if heavy rains persist over the coming days.

The early flood warning notice has been issued as per the weather forecast issued by the Department of Meteorology this evening (17), that heavy rains exceeding 100 mm per day may occur at some places in the Western, Sabaragamuwa, and North Western provinces as well as Galle and Matara districts.

The warning issued by the Irrigation Department stated that as per the warning and some other information of Department of Meteorology and some other sources, there is a possibility of floods occurring in one or more river basins mentioned as follows:

Accordingly, high attention of responsible authorities of disaster management and residents living in those areas are kindly requested to be vigilant in this regard, the advisory said. 

In addition, as the possibility of high intensity rainfall events occurring in and around urban areas are high, the Irrigation Department warned that the possibility of Flash Floods occurring in urban areas within above mentioned Divisional Secretariat areas are also high.  

Thus, the general public are requested to be alert in this regard.