The Department of Meteorology has issued a fresh “Amber” advisory for strong winds and rough seas, covering the sea areas from Matara to Pottuvil via Hambantota and from Kankesanturai to Chilaw via Mannar and Puttalam.
Those waters will be rough at times, with strong gusty winds reaching speeds of up to 55-60 kmph, the department said. Naval personnel and fishing communities operating in the affected areas have been asked to remain vigilant.
Stronger than the advisory it replaces
The new bulletin succeeds the Amber advisory issued on Wednesday, which expired at noon on Thursday (13). The two cover the same two stretches of coastline, but the wind forecast has been revised upwards — from gusts of up to 50 kmph in the earlier bulletin to 55-60 kmph now.
That places conditions closer to the Red-level advisory the department issued on August 8, when gusts of 60-70 kmph were forecast and fishing and naval communities were instructed not to venture into the affected waters at all.
What Amber requires
The Amber band stops short of that instruction. Communities working in the two zones are asked to be vigilant and take precautions rather than to stay ashore, and to follow subsequent forecasts issued by the department.
The advisory covers the entire northwestern and northern coast up to Kankesanturai as well as the southeastern stretch, meaning much of the island’s active fishing water is affected. Marine warnings have recurred through August as unsettled weather has persisted around the island.
Update — August 15: warning renewed unchanged
The Met Department re-issued the Amber advisory at 2.35 p.m. on Friday (15), keeping the warning in force for a second day with no change to its terms. The same two stretches of sea are named, the forecast gusts remain 55-60 kmph, and naval and fishing communities are again asked to be vigilant rather than to stay ashore.
The renewed bulletin also sets out conditions beyond the two flagged zones: in the other sea areas around the island, wind speeds can rise to 45-50 kmph and seas may be fairly rough at times.
The department did not state an expiry time for the renewed advisory, and no outlet other than Ada Derana carried it.
