The Department of Meteorology says that the showers or thundershowers will occur at most places of the island during the afternoon or night today (April 30).

Showers may occur in Southern and Western provinces and Puttalam district in the morning too.

Heavy showers of about 100 mm are likely at some places in Central, Sabaragamuwa, Uva, Eastern and North-central provinces.

The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damages caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.

Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Centraland Uva provinces during the morning.

The Intertropical Convergence Zone, where winds from the Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere converge, is affecting the island’s weather.

The Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court issued a travel ban on Thusitha Halloluwa, who had previously served as a Director of the National Lotteries Board (NLB).

Magistrate Nilupuli Lankapura issued the ban following a request from the Colombo Fort Police made over an ongoing investigation into allegations of misappropriation involving NLB assets.

Halloluwa, who served from 2017 – 2019, is accused of the fraudulent use of an iPhone, iPad, charger, and an Apple MacBook computer valued at 478,307.03 rupees.

The investigation was initiated based on a complaint filed by the Assistant General Manager of the National Lotteries Board on October 21, 2024. 

Colombo Fort Police presented these details to the court, leading to the issuance of the travel ban.

A new species of snake, endemic to Sri Lanka, has been discovered in the biologically rich Maragala mountain range near Monaragala. 

The species belongs to the genus Dendrelaphis, which is part of the colubridae family. With this discovery, the number of Dendrelaphis species found in Sri Lanka rises to eight—six of which are endemic.
The newly identified snake, named Dendrelaphis thasuni (locally referred to as Thasunge Haldanda), honors Dr. Thasun Amarasinghe, a leading expert in reptile and amphibian research, for his two decades of contribution to the field.

These snakes are diurnal by classification but have adapted to a completely nocturnal lifestyle. Their coloration closely matches the foliage of their habitat, and they are known for their remarkable speed and agility.

The discovery was made by a team of Sri Lankan and international researchers, including Anusha Attanagoda, Dr. Anselm de Silva, Dr. Gernot Vogel (Germany), Sitar Udayanga, Champika Bandara, Majintha Madawala, Dr. L. Lee Grismer (USA), and Suranjan Karunaratne.

The Maragala mountain range is recognized as a biodiversity hotspot, home to an impressive range of endemic flora and fauna. Of the 67 reptile species identified in the area, 30 are endemic, as are five of the 18 recorded amphibian species. Eighteen species of reptiles and amphibians in the region are currently listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List.

Researchers believe the region harbors many more undiscovered species, underscoring its ecological importance and the need for continued conservation efforts.

(Excerpts : dailynews.lk)