The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) has said that over 29,015 electricity breakdowns have been reported across the country due to the prevailing adverse weather conditions.
CEB teams are actively engaged in attending to these breakdowns despite challenges posed by limited staffing and resources, the statement said.
The CEB requests the public to report any outages or safety concerns via the CEBCare mobile app or by calling the ‘1987’ hotline, so that their teams can prioritize and respond swiftly.
1,757 affected
Meanwhile, the Disaster Management Center (DMC) reports that a total of 1,757 individuals from 485 families have been affected by the adverse weather conditions.
‘Red’ warning for strong winds and rough seas
The Department of Meteorology has issued a ‘Red’ warning for strong winds and rough seas for the sea areas off the coast extending from Chilaw to Kankesanthurai via Puttalam and Mannar, and from Galle to Pottuvil via Hambanthota.
Due to the effect of the active southwest monsoon condition, the sea areas off the coast extending from Chilaw to Kankesanthurai via Puttalam and Mannar and from Galle to Pottuvil via Hambantota will be very rough at times with very strong wind gusts up to 60-70 kmph, it said.
Naval and fishing communities are advised not to venture into the above sea areas until further notice.
Wind speed may increase up to 50-60 kmph at times in the sea areas off the coast extending from Chilaw to Galle via Colombo and from Kankasanthurai to Trincomalee via Mullaittivu.
The naval and fishing communities engaged in fishing and naval activities in these sea areas are requested to be vigilant in this regard.
The advisory further states that the wave height may increase about 3.0 meters in the sea areas off the coast extending from Mannar to Pottuvil via Puttalam, Colombo, Galle and Hambantota.
It further said there is a possibility of surges due to swell waves over the coastal areas extending from Mannar to Pottuvil via Puttalam, Colombo, Galle and Hambantota.
Naval and fishing communities are also requested to be attentive to future forecasts issued by the Department of Meteorology in this regard.