Meteorologists warn that Sri Lanka will face the El Niño phenomenon by May, potentially bringing extreme heat and disrupting the southwest monsoon, as the heat index is expected to reach cautionary levels in several provinces.
Sri Lanka is expected to face the El Niño phenomenon by May this year, which could bring intense heat and potentially disrupt the southwest monsoon, meteorologist Malith Fernando warned.
“El Niño is essentially an indicator associated with heat. If the index exceeds 0.5, Sri Lanka could experience this phenomenon by May,” he said. He further noted that if El Niño becomes active by May, there is a possibility it could suppress the southwest monsoon rains.
However, he mentioned that Sri Lanka could expect some rainfall around mid April. El Niño is a natural climate pattern characterized by the unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, weakening trade winds and altering global weather patterns. This warm phase of the ENSO cycle, which occurs every three to five years, typically brings hot and dry conditions to Australia and Southeast Asia, while causing heavy rainfall and flooding in parts of the Americas.
Meanwhile, Director General of the Meteorological Department Athula Karunanayake stated that Sri Lanka is currently experiencing dry weather due to reduced cloud formation. He recently forecast that the El Niño phenomenon could prolong the dry spell. However, some thunder showers may occur around mid April, which is typical for this time of year. According to the department, these showers are not expected to be heavy.
The department also noted that the heat index, which measures the temperature felt by the human body, is likely to reach cautionary levels in parts of the Western, Sabaragamuwa, Southern, North Western, Northern, and North Central Provinces, as well as in the Monaragala District.
