FINANCIAL CHRONICLE – Sri Lanka is on alert as a tropical weather system is expected to intensify into a deep depression on November 7, moving parallel to the island’s eastern coast and bringing heavy rainfall and moderately strong winds.
As of shortly before midnight on November 7, the system was located in the Bay of Bengal, approximately 490 kilometers east-southwest of Pottuvil, Sri Lanka, and 640 kilometers southeast of Trincomalee. It was advancing at a speed of 15 kilometers per hour, according to the Indian Meteorological Office’s tropical weather outlook for the Indian Ocean region.
The advisory states, “It is very likely to intensify further into a deep depression during the next 12 hours.” Furthermore, “It is very likely to move west-northwestwards initially across the southwest Bay of Bengal during the next 36 hours.”
The report also mentions that equatorial waves are expected to enhance convective activity in association with the low-pressure area over the region until January 8, following which a slight weakening of these features is anticipated. “There is good consensus among various models with respect to west-northwestward movement of the system across the southwest Bay of Bengal during the next 3 days.”
However, the 07th/00 UTC run ECMWF model indicates an initial west-northwestward movement until 9th/00 UTC, after which it suggests a north-northwestward trajectory over the southwest Bay of Bengal, moving parallel to the Sri Lankan coast until 10th/00 UTC.
The Sri Lankan meteorological department has issued a warning of winds ranging from 50 to 60 kilometers per hour and rainfall of 100 millimeters affecting the Northern, Eastern, North Central, Uva, and Sabaragamuwa areas, as well as the rest of the island.
