Climate Bulletin For Sri Lanka (26 February 2021)

 

Highlights                             

•  Showers of 35 mm expected in Eastern province during 1^st - 7^th March. A drop in rainfall over the rest of the country.

  •  Heavy rainfall was experienced in Northern and; Eastern provinces. Up to 81 mm max in Batticaloa on 18^thFeb.

•  From 16^th - 22nd Feb: up to 5 km/h Northeasterly winds were experienced around along Sri Lanka.

•  Sea surface temperature was observed near- neutral all along around Sri Lanka.

Download full report ↓

---

Monitoring

Rainfall
Total Rainfall for the Past Week: 

The RFE 2.0 tool shows Cumulative rainfall by Districts:

• 25 – 50 mm - Badulla, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura,  Kalutara, Matara
• 10 – 25 mm - Moneragala, Vavuniya, Kandy, Kurunegala, Kegalle, Gampaha, Colombo, Galle, Hambantota
• 2 – 5 mm - Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Ampara, Matale, Puttalam

There was no rainfall in the week in the remaining districts.

Total rainfall Anomalies by Districts

Rainfall Excess

• 25 – 50 mm - Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar
• 10 – 25 mm - Badulla, Moneragala, Vavuniya, Nuwara Eliya, Ratnapura, Kalutara, Galle, Matara, Hambantota

Rainfall Deficit

• 25 – 50 mm Puttalam, Kurunegala
• 10 – 25 mm Polonnaruwa, Matale

There was no rainfall in the week in the remaining districts.

Monthly Monitoring: 

Dekadal Rainfall by Districts:

1^st – 10^th February:

• 8 mm - Ampara, Kalutara, Galle, Hambantota
• 6 mm - Ratnapura, Matara, Moneragala
• 4 mm - Batticaloa, Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla
• 2 mm - Jaffna, Vavuniya, Mannar Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Trincomalee, Matale, Puttalam, Kurunegala, Kegalle, Gampaha, Colombo

11^th – 20^th February:

• 4 mm - Badulla, Moneragala, Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Nuwara Eliya, Kegalle, Ratnapura, Matara, Hambantota
• 2 mm - Jaffna, Vavuniya, Polonnaruwa, Batticaloa, Ampara, Matale, Kandy, Colombo, Kalutara, Galle

Predictions

Rainfall

14-day prediction: 
NOAA NCEP models: 

From 27^th – 28th February:

Total rainfall by Provinces: 

  25 mm - Eastern

  

From 1^st – 7th March:

Total rainfall by Provinces:

  35 mm - Eastern

MJO based OLR predictions:

For the next 15 days: 

MJO shall slightly suppress the rainfall during 27th Feb – 4th Mar and Neutral during 5th – 9th  March.

Ocean State (Text Courtesy IRI)

Pacific sea state: February 17, 2021 

Equatorial Eastern and western Pacific SST reached La Niña threshold in mid-February, and the atmospheric variables were either ENSO-neutral or indicative of weak La Niña conditions.

Indian Ocean State

Sea surface temperature was observed near-neutral all along around Sri Lanka.