At least three people have drowned in Sri Lanka after heavy rains caused flooding in the capital Colombo and other parts of the island nation.
Heavy rains over the weekend wreaked havoc, flooding homes, fields and roads, affecting more than 158,000 people in at least 12 districts, authorities said.
The government closed all schools in the capital and its suburbs on Monday as heavy rains continued to batter the island.
According to the disaster management center, 240 houses were damaged by the rain and flooding, and nearly 7,000 people were forced to flee their homes.
Local media reported that one of the three people who drowned fell while paddling a canoe through floodwaters on the outskirts of Colombo.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology, more than 100mm of rainfall is expected in Sabaragamuwa, Western, Northwestern, Northern Provinces, Galle and Matara districts.
At least eight naval flood relief teams worked with the military to rescue victims and provide food and other essentials in Gampaha, Colombo and Puttalam districts.
The country’s newly elected President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced 50 million rupees (£130,668) in aid to provide relief to those affected.
Director-General of the Meteorological Department Atula Karunanayake said the formation of the cyclone intertropical convergence zone was responsible for the late monsoon rains.
He told BBC Sinhala that “the atmospheric turbulence that affected the weather on the island is now moving away from the island” but that the wet weather is likely to continue until October 17.
“One of the characteristics of this rain is that it rains heavily in a short period of time. In many areas, more than 100 millimeters of rain could fall,” Karunanayake said.
“There will be strong winds temporarily. There is also a risk of lightning strikes.”
Sri Lanka has been suffering from severe weather conditions, mainly due to the monsoon, since May. Floods and landslides in June killed at least 16 people across the country.
