The Department of Meteorology has issued a Red warning for strong winds and very rough seas off the southeastern coast, telling fishing and naval communities not to venture into the affected waters.
The warning was issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre at 10.00 a.m. on Thursday (6) and runs until 10.00 a.m. on Friday (7).
Sea areas from Matara to Pottuvil via Hambantota will be very rough at times, with strong gusty winds reaching 60-70 kmph, the department said. Naval and fishing communities have been advised not to venture into those waters until further notice.
The rest of the island’s coastline sits one tier lower. The sea from Batticaloa to Matara via Trincomalee, Kankesanthurai, Puttalam, Colombo and Galle is forecast to be rough at times, with winds strengthening to 50-60 kmph. Fishermen and naval personnel working in those waters were urged to exercise caution and stay alert to rapidly changing conditions.
The department asked fishing and naval communities to monitor subsequent forecasts and warnings before undertaking any activity at sea.
The Red band has moved west
Thursday’s bulletin pushes the highest wind band back over water that was cleared for fishing only a day earlier. The Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources approved the resumption of fishing from Puttalam to Hambantota on Wednesday after winds eased, keeping only the Hambantota-Pottuvil stretch closed as dangerous.
Matara falls inside the reopened section. It is now back under the 60-70 kmph band, meaning part of the coast released on Wednesday is again subject to a Met Department warning against going to sea. The fisheries department had cautioned at the time that conditions could deteriorate again under the southwest monsoon.
The previous Red advisory, covering the whole Puttalam-Pottuvil coast, expired at 10.00 a.m. on Wednesday.
The spell has already been lethal at sea. Five fishermen died in weather-related incidents in the days before the fishing ban was widened. On land, the active southwest monsoon is driving landslide warnings and road closures across the central hills.
Update: fishing suspended in the warning zone
The Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources issued its own urgent notice to the fishing community later on Thursday, acting on the Met Department’s advisory.
The department said the sea area from Matara to Pottuvil via Hambantota is currently unsuitable for coastal fishing, and strongly advised all fishermen in the region not to put to sea until further notice.
Vessels setting out from other parts of the coast, where no hazard has been reported, were specifically instructed not to enter the designated risk zone or fish within it.
The department asked the whole fishing community to stay alert to subsequent weather bulletins and to follow safety instructions to the letter, to prevent loss of life and property.
Sources: Ada Derana, Daily Mirror, Hiru News.
