Sri Lanka braces for heavy rains, strong winds

Colombo, June 4 (IANS) Sri Lanka's Meteorological Department said that heavy rains and strong winds were expected to lash several areas of the island nation in the coming days due to the onset of the southwest monsoons.The Meteorology Department said heavy rainfalls of up to 150 mm were by Friday and the public were urged to be cautious especially from heavy lightning, reports Xinhua news agency.The Department further said wind speeds were expected to increase up to 50 to 55 km per hour in Northern, North Central and North-Western provinces.According to the Disaster Management Centre, several areas in the country were inundated on Thursday following the heavy rains and a warning has been issued to families living in low-lying areas.A landslide warning has also been issued for some districts.
--IANS ksk/