Showers in catchment areas

Disna MUDALIGE

Showers are now being experienced in catchment areas, Meteorology Department Director General G B Samarasinghe said.

Addressing a press conference at the Met Department yesterday he said Southwest monsoon showers are expected to continue in these areas in the coming days.

The Met Department said that Lakshapana reservoir recorded 129mm of rainfall while Norton recorded 120mm in the 24 hours ended yesterday noon. The rainfall figures at Kotmale amounted to 93mm, Canyon, 69mm, Castlereagh, 62mm and Maussakele, 60mm. The Department forecasts thunder showers in the afternoon or evening in many parts of the island today. It predicted showers in the Southern, Western, Sabaragamuwa and Central Provinces including Galle and Colombo districts.

The Director General noted that this year's Southwest monsoon did not carry showers to predicted levels. He observed that the rainfall upto the end of August from the monsoon which started in May was 50 percent lower than the expected amount.

This rainfall was similar to the rainfall figures of 2007 that recorded very low rainfall from the Southwest monsoon. He predicted that inter monsoon showers will be experienced in the island earlier this year soon after the end of the monsoon.