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Description of the Event
Date of event
26-11-2024
What happened, where and when?
The deep depression in the Bay of Bengal conditions to the northeast of Sri Lanka has caused heavy rains across the country since 23 November 2024. The heavy rainfall along the coastal side, which has continued since 23 November, triggered flash floods in the country on 26 November 2024.
The deep depression was moved along the coast of the eastern and northeastern parts of the country, and it was located approximately 100 km northeast of Trincomalee district on 27 November 2024.
On 29 November 2024, the Department of Meteorology issued a ‘Red’ alert warning for Cyclone “FENGAL” over the Southwest Bay of Bengal for the land and the deep and shallow sea areas around the island. As per the warning, the Deep Depression over Southwest Bay of Bengal moved north-northwestwards and intensified into a cyclonic storm “FENGAL” and was located about 280 km northeast of Kankasanthurai and 310 km north-northeast of Trincomalee.
Due to the extreme weather conditions caused by Storm FENGAL, rainfall exceeding 200 mm has been recorded in the Eastern, Northeastern, North Central, and Northern Provinces. Very strong winds, reaching speeds of up to 60 km/h, have caused damage to infrastructure, homes, and agricultural lands in these areas.
Heavy flash flooding has affected low-lying regions, and disruptions to fisheries have led to warnings from Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre. Authorities have advised fishermen to suspend their operations.
Several roads and bridges have been damaged, particularly in the Northern, North Central, and Eastern Provinces. The primary route from Colombo to Ratnapura, Wellawaya, and Batticaloa has been temporarily closed, and the public is advised to use alternative routes.
The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) has issued Level 1 and Level 2 landslide warnings for nine districts. A landslide in Moragolla, along the Gampola-Nuwara Eliya main road, has obstructed vehicular movement, while landslips in Mahara and Gampola have caused significant damage to a house.
Furthermore, the intensity of flooding has increased due to the release of water from medium-sized reservoirs, leading to a significant influx of flash floods. 46 minor to medium reservoirs in the Eastern and Northern provinces reported damage. Additionally, the level 2 spill gates of major reservoirs in the Ampara, Batticaloa, Trincomalee, Mullaitivu, and Anuradhapura districts were opened to release excess water, which resulted in further damage to small bridges and canals in many areas.
The Disaster Management Centre reports that, as of 29 November, 441,373 individuals have been affected across 232 Divisional Secretariat Divisions in 24 districts due to the indirect impacts of Cyclone FENGAL.
The following districts have experienced the most significant damage and people affected.
A. Eastern province: Ampara district; 149,491, Batticaloa district; 71,618, Trincomalee district; 10,416 individuals are affected.
B. Northern province: Mannar district: 68,103, Jana: 64,621, Kilinochchi: 9,169, Mullaitivu: 7,524, Vavuniya: 4,851 individuals are affected.
C. Northcentral province—Anuradhapura district; 6,619 individuals are affected.
Government and organizational support
The Sri Lanka Navy has deployed 16 disaster relief teams across four districts to assist those affected by the severe weather conditions. The tri-forces are actively working in the impacted areas to coordinate rescue operations and transport individuals to safer locations from the villages that have become isolated due to flooding and overflowing rivers.
The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) is coordinating efforts with all stakeholders and non-governmental organizations. They are conducting humanitarian coordination meetings and, in collaboration with OCHA, are mapping out the aid organization with a 3W chart to request immediate relief items.
Two teams, led by Cabinet Ministers, have been appointed to oversee relief efforts in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, which have been significantly affected by the floods. These teams have been designated under the directives of the president and are responsible for monitoring ongoing relief activities in their respective provinces.
Metrological warnings
According to the Meteorological Department, the Cyclonic Storm "FENGAL" over the Southwest Bay of Bengal was located approximately 360 km north of Trincomalee and 280 km northeast of Kankasanthurai at 11:30 p.m. on 29 November 2024. The storm is likely to move west-northwest and make landfall along the northern coasts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as a cyclonic storm.
The impact of this system on the weather on the island is gradually diminishing. Heavy rainfall, exceeding 75 mm, is expected in some areas of the Northern Province. Showers may also occur intermittently in the Sabaragamuwa Province, as well as in the districts of Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Galle, and Matara. Several spells of rain are anticipated in the Western, Northwestern, and North-Central Provinces. Additionally, strong winds ranging from 50 to 55 km/h are expected in the Northern, North-central, North-western, Eastern, Central, and Southern Provinces.