The Department of Meteorology has issued an advisory warning of strong winds, heavy rainfall, and rough sea conditions around Sri Lanka for the next 24 hours.
According to the advisory, the “Monta” cyclonic storm currently located over the Bay of Bengal was centered near latitude 14.4°N and longitude 83.3°E, approximately 650 km northeast of Mullaitivu as of 2:30 a.m. today.
The system is moving north-northwest and is expected to intensify further into a severe cyclonic storm, likely crossing the Andhra Pradesh coast by this evening or tonight.
The Met Department strongly advises fishing and naval communities to avoid the coastal waters from Kankesanthurai to Trincomalee and up to Batticaloa due to hazardous sea conditions during the next 24 hours.
Fishermen operating in coastal waters from Puttalam to Kankesanthurai via Mannar, as well as from Galle to Potuvil via Hambantota, are urged to remain vigilant and take all necessary safety precautions.
Thunderstorms with heavy rainfall and winds gusting up to 70–80 km/h are expected at times in the marked sea areas, where conditions may become rough or very rough intermittently.
