Gale havoc in several parts

Disna Mudalige

Ministers caught up in Batti gale

Sivam packiyanathan, Batticaloa special correspondent

Three ministers attending a function in Batticaloa were caught up in the gale that swept the Eastern Province on Monday damaging houses and property.

Ministers S B Dissanayake, V Muralitharan and M L A M Hizbullah were attending an event at the Eastern University where Minister Dissanayake laid the foundation stone for a new building for medical students.

The minister was in the midst of his speech when the gale blew across taking away the canopies and other shelter erected at the venue for the event. The VIPs were immediately rushed to safety.

Two hundred and thirty three people belonging to 63 families were affected by the gale force winds which swept several parts of the island on Monday, Disaster Management Centre Deputy Director of Media Sarath Lal Kumara said. He said five people, three in Kotmale and two in Dambulla, were injured due to falling roofing sheets and other mishaps following strong winds.

Eighty eight houses were partially damaged while one house was completely destroyed, Kumara said.

One hundred and nineteen people in the Kurunegala district, 88 in Gampaha and 30 in Nuwra Eliya were affected by the inclement weather. The areas affected by strong winds include Ambagamuwa, Kotmale, Nuwara Eliya, Katana,Colombo, Polpithigama, Udubaddawa, Dambulla, Karandeniya, Koralepathuthu North and Koralepathuthu Divisional Secretariat Divisions, he said.

The Meteorology Department said the activation of the South West monsoon was the reason for the strong winds experienced in several parts of the island. Department duty forecaster Meril Mendis said fairly strong winds accompanied by showers could be experienced even today. Meanwhile, catchment areas received rainfall on Monday for the first time in three months.

The duty forecaster said that the Castlereagh had recorded 70.8mm rainfall, Norton 55.2mm, Maussakele 44.5mm, Canyon 39.5mm, Lakshapana 37.2mm, Maskeliya 33.3mm, and Kotmale 32mm. However, Victoria, Randenigala, Rantabe and Samanalawewa has not received sufficient rain, he said.