The post Cyclone Ditwah Moves Away From Sri Lanka; System Weakening appeared first on Newswire.
The Sri Lankan Report
Sri Lanka has announced special support measures for tourists affected by the ongoing severe weather, including free visa extensions and flexible airline policies to ease travel disruptions. According to the authorities, all tourists whose visas have expired during the current situation will receive visa extensions free of charge. Officials said this decision was taken to ensure visitors are not penalised or inconvenienced due to unavoidable delays caused by floods and transport disruptions across the island. Airlines operating to and from Sri Lanka have also introduced a series of flexible measures. These include a full waiver of flight cancellation fees and…
The Road Development Authority (RDA) says motorists can now reach Kandy town via the expressway to Kurunegala and through the Galagedara and Katugastota routes.
Prabath Chandrakeerthi has been appointed as the Commissioner General of Essential Services, the President’s Media Division announced. The appointment has been made under the powers vested in President Anura Kumara Dissanayake through the Emergency (Various Provisions and Powers) Regulations No. 11(1) issued under Emergency Regulations No. 1 of 2025. As Commissioner General, Chandrakeerthi will be responsible for implementing and coordinating all activities related to the provision and maintenance of essential services across the country. He currently serves as the Secretary to the Ministry of Plantation and Rural Infrastructure.(Newswire) The post Prabath Chandrakeerthi appointed Commissioner General of Essential Services appeared first…
A shortage of blood has emerged in the country as a result of the ongoing disaster situation, according to Dr. Lakshman Edirisinghe, Director of the National Blood Transfusion Service. Dr. Edirisinghe said the current weather conditions have disrupted the ability to organize mobile blood donation campaigns, which usually supply the majority of daily blood requirements. “On average, we need between 1,400 and 1,500 blood units per day to maintain the national blood system, and about 85 percent of that usually comes from mobile donation campaigns,” he said. He warned that the required volume of blood has not been met in…
ECONOMYNEXT – The death toll in Sri Lanka’s worst natural disaster in eight years has risen to 159 as of 20:00 hours on Saturday, with the authorities still in search of at least 203 missing people across the island nation, the country’s Disaster Management Center (DMC) said. Officials expect the toll to rise further as relief work is underway with many people are feared buried due to the landslides and earth slips in hilly areas while floods in some coastal districts along the river basins. Central Sri Lanka district of Badulla and Kandy topped the death toll list with at…
The Ministry of Finance has released official bank details for anyone wishing to contribute to Sri Lanka’s disaster relief efforts. Local and international donors can now send funds directly to designated Treasury and Central Bank accounts to support affected communities. (Newswire) The post Sri Lanka Announces Verified Foreign Currency Accounts for Relief Aid appeared first on Newswire.
Islandwide major rivers continue to pose serious flood risks as water levels remain high in several key basins, according to the latest update issued by the Irrigation Department at 6.30 p.m. today (29). The report shows that the Kelani River basin remains the most critical, with Glencourse recording a major flood level of 20.36 m at 6.00 p.m., although showing a slight decline from earlier in the day. Hanwella continues to remain above the minor flood level at 10.57 m, while water levels at Kitulgala and Holombuwa are rising. Several tributaries of the Kelani, including Gurugoda Oya and Seethawaka Ganga,…
Amid the severe weather conditions impacting the country, the Sri Lanka Air Force airlifted three critically ill children from the Chilaw Base Hospital after floodwaters cut access and a power outage disrupted essential medical services. According to hospital officials, essential food supplies and dry rations had earlier been delivered to the Chilaw Hospital due to the surrounding area being inundated. However, a sudden power failure inside the hospital created a critical situation for several young patients who required immediate advanced care. Two infants—aged 28 days and 35 days—and a 10-year-old child with serious injuries were evacuated under the supervision of…
Amid the severe weather conditions impacting the country, the Sri Lanka Air Force airlifted three critically ill children from the Chilaw Base Hospital after floodwaters cut access and a power outage disrupted essential medical services. According to hospital officials, essential food supplies and dry rations had earlier been delivered to the Chilaw Hospital due to the surrounding area being inundated. However, a sudden power failure inside the hospital created a critical situation for several young patients who required immediate advanced care. Two infants—aged 28 days and 35 days—and a 10-year-old child with serious injuries were evacuated under the supervision of…
Sri Lanka’s disaster death toll has risen to 153, while 191 people remain missing due to the severe weather conditions affecting the country, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) announced. In a statement issued at 6.00 p.m. today (29), the DMC said a total of 774,724 individuals from 217,263 families across all 25 districts have been affected by the ongoing disaster situation. According to the update, 100,898 people belonging to 27,494 families are currently sheltered at 798 safe centres established around the country. Authorities continue large-scale rescue, relief, and evacuation operations as rain conditions ease in some areas, though risks remain…
Sri Lanka’s disaster death toll has risen to 153, while 191 people remain missing due to the severe weather conditions affecting the country, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) announced. In a statement issued at 6.00 p.m. today (29), the DMC said a total of 774,724 individuals from 217,263 families across all 25 districts have been affected by the ongoing disaster situation. According to the update, 100,898 people belonging to 27,494 families are currently sheltered at 798 safe centres established around the country. Authorities continue large-scale rescue, relief, and evacuation operations as rain conditions ease in some areas, though risks remain…
Two Indian Navy helicopters rescued eight people trapped by floodwaters in Pannala on 29 November, as India’s aerial support to Sri Lanka’s disaster response continued to increase amid the ongoing emergency. Authorities confirmed that four Indian helicopters are currently deployed for rescue missions across the country, including two aircraft operating from the Indian Navy’s INS Vikrant. The helicopters carried out multiple sorties in the Pannala area, where rising waters had cut off access to several homes. The rescued individuals were brought to safer locations and handed over to local authorities. Indian air assets are working alongside the Sri Lanka Air…
Two Indian Navy helicopters rescued eight people trapped by floodwaters in Pannala on 29 November, as India’s aerial support to Sri Lanka’s disaster response continued to increase amid the ongoing emergency. Authorities confirmed that four Indian helicopters are currently deployed for rescue missions across the country, including two aircraft operating from the Indian Navy’s INS Vikrant. The helicopters carried out multiple sorties in the Pannala area, where rising waters had cut off access to several homes. The rescued individuals were brought to safer locations and handed over to local authorities. Indian air assets are working alongside the Sri Lanka Air…
The Ambatale flood control barrier is at risk of overflowing as water levels of the Kelani River continue to rise, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) warned today. According to the DMC, residents living along the embankment, the Malabe–Kaduwela main road, and surrounding low-lying areas have been urged to evacuate to safer locations immediately. Officials said the situation could deteriorate rapidly if the Kelani River continues to rise, increasing the threat of severe flooding. The post Immediate evacuation urged as Ambatale Barrier Faces Overflow Threat appeared first on Newswire.
Following the nationwide impact of Cyclone Ditwa and the overflow of the Kelani River which caused severe flooding in Colombo, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya visited the flood-affected residents of Upper Bomiriya and surrounding areas this afternoon (29) to assess their situation. At the Bomiriya Junior School, where displaced families are temporarily sheltered, the Prime Minister met with the affected people and inquired into their wellbeing. She examined the shortages currently faced by the displaced, including food and sanitation supplies, and reviewed the government’s relief measures to ensure these needs are met swiftly. Acknowledging the scale of the national disaster, the…
ECONOMYNEXT – Access to Gampola and Kandy cities in Sri Lanka, which faced the brutal assault from Cyclone Ditwah has been restored and relief workers and the military is attempting restore power and other utilities to the people, Deputy Minister Prasanna Gunasena said. “Flood levels in Gampola, Geli-Oya, Peradeniya and Gatambe from the overflowing Mahaweli River has now subsided,” Minister Gunasena said in a speech broadcast over Sri Lanka’s Sirasa Television. “We have opened the road from Peradeniya to Gampola. The supply line of fuel, medicine and food to Kandy has been restored through Kurunegala – Galagedera road. “We cannot…
The government has launched an urgent operation to restore phone and internet networks crippled by days of severe weather, as millions struggle to contact loved ones trapped in flood-hit and landslide-affected areas. Officials from the Presidential Secretariat, the Clean Sri Lanka Secretariat, the Ministry of Digital Economy and the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka met with major telecom operators on Saturday to map out immediate fixes. The meeting followed reports that transmission towers across the country had lost power or suffered structural damage, leading to major communication failures. Authorities said the breakdown has left families unable to reach relatives…
GENERAL WEATHER FORECAST FOR NEXT 36 HOURS Issued at 04.00 p.m. on 29 November 2025 The Cyclonic Storm “Ditwah” [Pronunciation: Ditwah] is centered near latitude 9.9°N and longitude 80.7°E, about 80 km Northeast of Jaffna at 11.30 a.m. on 29th November. It is very likely to move north-northwestwards and reach near Tamil Nadu coast, India by 30th November. The general public is kindly requested to be attentive about future advisories issued by the Department of Meteorology in this regard. Prevailing rainy and windy weather condition will be considerably reduced by tomorrow (30th) November. Tonight Showers and thundershowers will occur at…
ECONOMYNEXT – Sri Lanka’s government has declared a state of emergency as the death toll from Cyclone Ditwah rose to 132, and appealed for international help. The cyclone brought heavy rains and strong winds causing death and destruction across the island nation, with around 176 reported missing according to the country’s the Disaster Management Centre (DMC). President Anura Kumara Dissanayake finally invoked emergency laws on Saturday, after previously ignoring opposition calls to do so. The military is involved in rescue operations throughout the island. Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya had met the diplomatic corps to ask for help. India has been…