Cyclonic storm Arnab has formed over the Bay of Bengal and is expected to become a very severe cyclonic storm on Tuesday, the Department of Meteorology said, as the Education Ministry closed all schools in Sri Lanka for the day.
The department said the deep depression over the east-central and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal intensified into a cyclonic storm in its forecast issued on Monday. At 8:30 a.m. on Monday the system was about 1,100 km northeast of Kankesanthurai.
It is forecast to become a severe cyclonic storm on Monday evening and a very severe cyclonic storm on 27 October. The department expects it to make landfall on the coast of Andhra Pradesh in India at about 11:30 a.m. on 28 October. It said the storm is not expected to affect Sri Lanka directly.
Wind patterns linked to the storm will keep bringing rain to the south-western parts of the island, the department said. Showers or thundershowers are forecast in the Northern, Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, North Western, Central and North Central provinces and in the Trincomalee District. Some areas could receive more than 75 mm of rain.
Winds of 40 to 50 km/h are expected on the western slopes of the central hills, in the Northern, North Central and North Western provinces, and in the Trincomalee and Hambantota districts. The public has been told to take precautions against lightning and sudden strong winds.
Background
The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) issued landslide early warnings on Monday for eight districts: Galle, Gampaha, Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura. Level 3 (red) evacuation warnings cover six Divisional Secretariat divisions in the Ratnapura District: Ratnapura, Ayagama, Pelmadulla, Kuruwita, Elapatha and Openayake.
Level 2 (amber) alerts apply to parts of Kalutara, Kandy, Kegalle, Kurunegala, Nuwara Eliya and Ratnapura, and level 1 (yellow) warnings to several areas in all eight districts. The NBRO said residents in red zones should move to safer ground if the rain continues, while those in amber zones should stay alert and be ready to leave. The warnings are valid until 2:45 p.m. on Tuesday.
The Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources also issued a notice. Director General of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Susantha Kahawatta said winds in sea areas north of latitude 10 degrees North could reach 100 km/h or higher at times. Seas around Sri Lanka could also become rough.
What it means
All schools across the island will stay closed on Tuesday as a precaution, according to an announcement by Education Ministry Secretary Nalaka Kaluwewa. The closure applies only to that day. The practical tests in aesthetic subjects for the GCE Ordinary Level examination will go ahead as scheduled.
The Education Ministry has also authorised Provincial Education Secretaries and Provincial Directors of Education to decide on temporary school closures in their areas. It said they should consider the disaster situation, flood risks and road obstructions.
The Fisheries Department told crews of fishing vessels in the affected waters to stay well away from the storm’s centre and its expected path, and to follow later weather advisories. Residents near steep slopes, valleys and cut slopes have been asked to watch for landslides, rockfalls and ground subsidence.
