Met Dept. requests fisherman to refrain from setting out to sea

COLOMBO (News 1^st) - The Met Department states that the prevailing showery condition is expected to reduce some extent from tomorrow (March 13). It states that the low-pressure area in the vicinity of Sri Lanka is moving away from the country towards the Arabian Sea. Due to the wavy atmospheric nature the North Central, Eastern, Southern and Uva Provinces experienced heavy rainfall accompanied by gale winds yesterday (March 12). Many fishing communities refrained from setting out to sea today (March 13). Events occurred due to weather today - A Tornadic waterspout was witnessed this morning in the seas off Dondra Head in Matara. - Three fishermen who set out to sea from Mullaithivu are reported missing. Police stated that the Sri Lanka Navy has launched an operation to locate the missing men and their boat. The fishermen are aged 50, 46 and 24 years. - Polonnaruwa experienced a slight rainfall. - Six of the sluice gates of the Parakrama Samudraya which were opened have been closed and the other 04 sluice gates have been opened by a foot each. According to Assistant Engineer K.K.De Silva, the gates release 560 cubic feet of water per second. The Met Department forecasts, Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the North-central, Eastern, Uva and Southern provinces. It adds Under the influence of the system, the possibility for heavy showers or thundershowers and sudden roughness, associated with a sudden increase of wind speed up to 70-80kmph in the sea areas off the coast extending from Hambantota to Mannar via Galle and Colombo is high. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qu8DQPw_uTQ