Colombo, Sri Lanka – August 31, 2026 – The National Meteorological Centre (NMC) has released its latest general weather forecast for Sri Lanka, providing essential updates for September 1, 2026. Issued at 2:00 PM today, August 31, 2026, the forecast highlights a mix of showers, localized thundershowers, and strong winds across the island and its surrounding sea areas, urging the public and maritime communities to remain vigilant.
Island-wide Weather Forecast for September 1st
For Monday, September 1, 2026, several spells of showers are anticipated in the Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces, as well as in the districts of Galle, Matara, Kandy, and Nuwara-Eliya. Residents in these areas should prepare for intermittent rainfall throughout the day.
Furthermore, the Uva province and the districts of Ampara, Batticaloa, and Hambantota may experience showers or thundershowers at a few places, particularly after 2:00 PM. The NMC advises the general public to take adequate precautions to minimize potential damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning, which are often associated with thundershowers.
Conversely, the rest of the island is expected to enjoy mainly dry weather conditions.
Wind Conditions and Solar Phenomenon
Fairly strong winds, with speeds ranging from 30-40 kmph, can be expected at times over the western slopes of the Central hills, the North-Central and North-Western provinces, and in the Trincomalee, Hambantota, and Matale districts.
Adding to the atmospheric dynamics, the sun’s apparent southward relative motion means it will be directly overhead the latitudes of Sri Lanka from August 28th to September 7th. Tomorrow, September 1st, the sun will be directly overhead at approximately 12:10 noon in areas including Kalpitiya, Talawa, Sinharagama, Galkadawala, Nachchaduwa, Padikaramaduwa, Gomarankalla, and Verugal.
Sea Area Forecast for the Next 24 Hours
Naval and fishing communities, as well as those residing in coastal regions, are strongly advised to exercise caution due to anticipated sea conditions.
Rain: Showers may occur at several places in the sea areas off the coast extending from Chilaw to Hambantota via Colombo and Galle.
Winds: Winds will be predominantly South-westerly, with speeds generally between 30-40 kmph. However, wind speeds can increase significantly:
- Up to 50-60 kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Hambantota to Pottuvil.
- Up to 50 kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Trincomalee to Puttalam via Kankasanthurai and Mannar.
State of Sea: The sea areas off the coasts extending from Hambantota to Pottuvil will be rough at times. Similarly, the sea areas off the coasts extending from Trincomalee to Puttalam via Kankasanthurai and Mannar may be fairly rough at times.
Coastal Inundation Warning
There is a significant possibility of wave height increasing by approximately 2.0 to 3.0 meters in the sea areas off the coast extending from Puttalam to Pottuvil via Colombo, Galle, and Matara. This could lead to seawater inundation over the nearshore areas extending from Chilaw to Matara via Colombo and Galle. Therefore, naval and fishing communities engaged in activities in these sea areas, as well as coastal communities living in the aforementioned nearshore areas, are kindly requested to remain highly vigilant and take necessary precautions.
The NMC defines rainfall amounts as: Light: 00-12.5 mm, Light to moderate: 12.5-25 mm, Moderate: 25-50 mm, Fairly heavy rain: 50-100 mm, Heavy rain: 100-150 mm, Very heavy rain: 150 mm or more.
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