Extreme weather creating urgent need for better forecasts

Source: www.trust.org

By Amantha Perera

VAVUNIYA, Sri Lanka (AlertNet) – Since returning to farming after decades of displacement during Sri Lanka’s long civil war, Kusmalatha Tammitta has faced a new enemy: extreme weather, particularly long droughts followed by bursts of heavy rain.

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Tropical Cyclone hitting Sri Lanka, South India

A tropical depression over the southwestern Bay of Bengal will gain tropical cyclone status as it makes its way west to the south coast of India.
Flooding rain and damaging winds will threaten parts of Sri Lanka and southeastern India along and near the path of this low.
Seas will be dangerous for fishing boats and other small vessels.

Read More at http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-blogs/andrews/tropical-cyclone-hitting-sri-lanka-south-india/834487

Weekly Hydro-meteorological Report, 01 November 2012

Highlights

Monitoring and Prediction
The tropical storm that started to the West of Sri Lanka propagated North-Westwards drenching the Northeastern seaboard in particular and the rest of the island considerably as well as it intensified to cyclonic speeds. This is an early start to the cyclone that usually lasts from November till February– there has only been one that has made landfall in Sri Lanka recorded during October for the past 140 years. The anomalously warm sea surfaces to the east of Sri Lanka is one of the factors that contributes to enhanced cyclogenesis. The forecasts for the next week are for continued wet weather but only reaching a weekly accumulation of about 75mm..

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Weekly Hydro-meteorological Report, 25 October 2012

Highlights

Monitoring and Prediction
The drought during the Yala season abated at the start of September and now as is seasonable with the start of the Maha season, we have heavy rainfalls. For the same reasons that Yala was drought ridden (warm Central Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean surface temperatures), Sri Lanka and the sea towards eastern Africa is likely to have a wetter and warmer period till December.

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Weekly Hydro-meteorological Report, 18 October 2012

Summary

Monitoring


Weekly Monitoring: During 10th-15th of October, rainfall ranged between 0-125 mm. During this week almost all the parts of Sri Lanka received rainfall. On 12th & 13th maximum rainfall of 125 mm was observed in the places at Anuradhapura district.

Monthly Monitoring: In September, Central and South Eastern regions of the country received below average rainfall and the rest of the country received above average rainfall. Particularly Western, South Western and Jaffna peninsula regions were observed having a high positive anomaly.

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Weekly Hydro-meteorological Report, 11 October 2012

Summary

Monitoring


Weekly Monitoring: During 3rd-8th of October, rainfall ranged between 0-60 mm. No significant amount of rainfall reported during 3rd-5th in any part of the country. On the 8th entire country received rainfall and heavy rainfall was received for Northern half of the country.

Monthly Monitoring: In September, Central and South Eastern regions of the country received below average rainfall and the rest of the country received above average rainfall. Particularly Western, South Western and Jaffna peninsula regions were observed having a high positive anomaly.

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Weekly Hydro-meteorological Report, 04 October 2012

Summary

Monitoring


Weekly Monitoring: During 27th of September- 2nd of October, rainfall ranged between 0-60 mm. Maximum rainfall of 60 mm was observed on the 27th for Jaffna peninsula. During this week Southern half of the island received low rainfall. On the 28th, Jaffna peninsula received heavy rainfall while the rainfall on the rest of the country was much less. During the next 3 days, rainfall gradually diminished and by the 2nd of October rainfall desisted completely.

Monthly Monitoring: In September, Central and South Eastern regions of the country received below average rainfall and the rest of the country received above average rainfall. Particularly Western, South Western and Jaffna peninsula regions were observed having a high positive anomaly.

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