Two Australians aboard a sail boat, blown into the Mullaitivu seas due to strong winds were rescued by the Sri Lanka Army Sunday (5) afternoon, Disaster Management Centre Deputy Director (Media) Sarath Lal Kumara said. He said the Police also supported the rescue mission. The duo were rescued in the seas off Chalai, Mullaitivu. A gale warning forced an emergency evacuation of people in large swaths of coastal north.
People living within 100 metres of the coastal belt in Jaffna, Trincomalee, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi and Mannar were evacuated to safer locations yesterday due to danger of a high velocity gale, Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said.
He said the people in vulnerable areas were advised to move with their vehicles, boats, boat engines and other movable property with immediate effect yesterday.
Kumara said the Tri Forces, medical and relief measures providers, District Secretariat officers and District Disaster Management Co-ordinating Units were kept on a round-the-clock alert.
He said the people in vulnerable areas reacted swiftly to the DMC warnings and moved to safer locations immediately.
The Meteorology Department issued a strong weather advisory yesterday morning for very strong winds about 100 kmph and heavy rains (about 200 mm) over the Northern province and Northern seas due to the effect of a deep depression developed in the seas off the Northern Province.
It said the deep depression was detected about 150 km to the North-east of Trincomalee at noon yesterday and would move over or very closer to the Jaffna peninsula.
“There will be frequent showers in the Northern province and over the sea area off the coast extending from Mannar to Mullaitivu via Kankesanthurai. The seas off the coast extending from Mannar to Mullaitivu via Kankesanthurai will be very rough and dangerous.
The people living in the said coastal areas also should be more vigilant as the sea waves can rise to about three metres.
Fairly strong North-easterly winds are expected to continue over other areas in the island too,” the weather advisory stated. (Courtesy: Daily News)
