Fairly heavy rainfall expected in parts of the island today

Daily Mirror and Rupavahini News report that the Department of Meteorology expected rain to intensify across Sri Lanka from October 20. Rupavahini News attributes the forecast to unsettled lower-atmosphere conditions near the island, while Lankadeepa reports that the department’s director general connected heavy rain expected from the evening with El Niño.

Rupavahini News says showers or thunderstorms could occur in many areas after 1 p.m., with rainfall of about 100 millimetres possible at some locations in the Northern, North Central, Central, Eastern, North Western and Uva provinces. It also reports a chance of morning rain in the Northern and North Western provinces, and mist in some areas of the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces during the early hours. Rupavahini News advises precautions against lightning and brief strong winds accompanying thunderstorms.

Newswire reports an amber heavy-rain advisory covering parts of the Western, Sabaragamuwa, North Western and Northern provinces, along with Anuradhapura District. It says showers or thunderstorms may occur intermittently, with heavier rainfall possible at selected locations. Newswire gives the advisory’s expiry as 3:30 p.m. on October 21, 2026, and says the public was asked to prepare for possible disruption.

Daily Mirror reports that a separate amber warning for severe lightning covered seven provinces and Kurunegala District and remained in effect until 1:30 a.m. on October 21. Newswire’s lightning-warning report names the Central, Sabaragamuwa, North Central, Eastern, Northern, Uva and Western provinces.

Written automatically by AI from the outlets’ own reports, and not reviewed by an editor. It can be wrong — the original report is the authority.