The Secretary to the Ministry of Defence Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha (Retd.) has inspected the progress of the Doppler Weather Radar Network project in Puttalam, as part of efforts to strengthen Sri Lanka’s weather forecasting and early warning systems.

The Japanese grant-funded project is expected to enhance the country’s ability to monitor weather patterns, improve forecasting accuracy, and provide timely alerts during severe weather conditions, according to a statement issued by the Defence Ministry.

During the visit, the Director General of the Department of Meteorology A.L.K. Wijemannage briefed the Defence Secretary on the scope and importance of the project before the inspection commenced.

Project engineers later provided an update on the ongoing construction work, progress made since the previous inspection and the planned implementation schedule, the Ministry noted.

According to officials, installation of the radar system is scheduled to begin in January next year, while the full project is expected to be completed by the end of July next year.

The Defence Secretary expressed satisfaction with the progress achieved and stressed the importance of completing the project within the planned timeframe to improve disaster preparedness and strengthen Sri Lanka’s ability to respond to extreme weather events, Defence Ministry added further.