Sri Lanka heat warning grows as El Niño threatens hotter July-August weather, low rainfall, water stress, agriculture risks, and health concerns.
Sri Lanka heat conditions are expected to intensify in July and August, with the Department of Meteorology warning that the developing El Niño phenomenon may bring significantly hotter-than-normal weather.
Acting Director General of Meteorology Ajith Wijemannage told Daily Mirror that Sri Lanka is currently within the Southwest Monsoon season, but the effects of El Niño are expected to become more visible in the coming weeks.
“We are currently in the Southwest Monsoon period. The El Niño situation is expected to affect us in July and August. Normally, rainfall decreases during these two months, but with the El Niño conditions developing, there could be very little rainfall. As a result, temperatures are likely to remain above average during July and August,” Wijemannage said.
He noted that authorities are already preparing for the expected dry spell and higher temperatures, which could create pressure on water resources, agriculture, power generation, and public health.
“In light of the situation, we are planning discussions with relevant stakeholders including the Disaster Management Centre, Mahaweli Authority, National Water Supply and Drainage Board, Ceylon Electricity Board, Ministry of Health and the Irrigation Department to determine how best to prepare, with special attention being given to water management,” he said.
El Niño is a naturally occurring climate pattern that develops when sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean become warmer than usual.
This phenomenon can disrupt global weather patterns and is often linked to hotter and drier conditions in parts of Asia and Australia, while also triggering floods, storms, and extreme rainfall in other regions.
The World Meteorological Organization has warned that the current El Niño effect is likely to strengthen throughout 2026 and could become one of the strongest ever recorded. Several international climate agencies have indicated that it may even develop into a “super El Niño.”
Scientists have also observed a massive body of unusually warm water moving beneath the Pacific Ocean, with temperatures in some areas exceeding normal levels by more than six degrees Celsius.
Experts say such conditions are often early warning signs of major disruptions to global weather systems.
The United Nations has further cautioned that El Niño could intensify the effects of climate change, increasing the risk of severe heatwaves, droughts, water shortages, and extreme weather events across many parts of the world.
