Weather patterns subject to quick change -Met Dept.

Priyanka Kurugala

Weather changes could occur within a short period, considering to the location of Sri Lanka. Weather forecasts are prone to error, according to the report presented by the Meteorological Department to Disaster Management Minister Mahinda Amaraweera who called for a report after Friday's turbulence on the Southern coast .

"Even though the Meteorological Department personnel strive to inform the people about changing weather patterns to the best of their ability, the ministry would appoint a committee to look into the issue, Minister Amaraweera said.

He was addressing a press conference at the Meteorological Department yesterday where the Met Department presented its report to the ministry. The ministry had taken action to install new equipment and introduce modern technology to the Meteorological Department in 2012. Some equipment will be fixed in March, he said.

He also said recruiting personnel to the department was not an easy task due to this being a specialized job and also given the low salary scales , he said.

The ministry will take all measures to strengthen the Meteorological Department, he said.

Meteorological Department Director General W.G..Samarasinghe said, the Department presented the weather forecast for November 24 and 25. According to the forecast, a low pressure area was observed.

But after two days, unexpectedly it had increased to a squall line.

Weather forecast of the Meteorological Department is based on data. Information is based on guesswork. According to the weather forecast which was issued on November 24, the winds were to be from the North-Eastern direction and speed 20- 30 km/hr in the sea areas around the island.

However, this increased up to 80-90 km/hr. It was not a cyclone but only a squall line.

The Director General requested the media not to harm the credibility of the Meteorological Department. "This was just a single incident .This is a task dealing with the atmosphere. The Department is doing the maximum, he said.

Meteorological Department Director S H Kariyawasam also spoke.