Severe lightning alert issued for six provinces and four districts

Daily Mirror, Ada Derana, Hiru News and Rupavahini News report that the Department of Meteorology expects rainfall to increase across Sri Lanka from the evening of October 20. Rupavahini says the department attributes the change to a low-level atmospheric disturbance near the island; Lankadeepa separately reports the department’s director general linked forecast heavy rain from the evening to El Niño.

Rupavahini News says rain or thundershowers may occur in many areas after 1 p.m., with about 100 mm possible at some locations in the Northern, North Central, Central, Eastern, North Western and Uva provinces. It also reports possible morning rain in the Northern and North Western provinces, and early-morning mist in parts of the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces. Daily Mirror reports heavy showers of up to 100 mm are expected in several provinces.

Daily Mirror reports an amber severe-lightning advisory for the Central, Sabaragamuwa, North Central, Eastern, Northern and Uva provinces, as well as Kurunegala District, effective until 1:30 a.m. on October 21. Newswire’s separate heavy-rain advisory forecasts falls exceeding 100 mm in parts of the Western, Sabaragamuwa, North Western and Northern provinces and Anuradhapura District, and says it is valid until 3:30 p.m. on October 21.

Rupavahini News says the public was asked to take precautions against lightning and temporary strong winds accompanying thunderstorms. Newswire reports the department urged people to prepare for possible disruption. Daily Mirror and Newswire also report a severe-lightning warning covering seven provinces, but the available Newswire report does not give the complete list.

Written automatically by AI from the outlets’ own reports, and not reviewed by an editor. It can be wrong — the original report is the authority.