Severe weather affected parts of Sri Lanka from 25 October 2021. Two people died in flash floods in Badulla, while another died in a lightning strike in Mulaitivu.

Troops from the Sri Lanka Army assist in flood hit areas of Badulla district. Photo: Sri Lanka Army

According to Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management centre, floods, landslides or rain damage were reported in Rathnapura, Nuwara Eliya, Kandy, Jaffna, Badulla and Puttalam districts. Three homes had been completely destroyed a further 410 damaged. Over 120 people have evacuated their homes and moved to temporary shelters.

As of 03 November, almost 6,000 people had been affected, with around 2,000 of them in Badulla where the the Demodara Reservoir overflowed.

Sri Lanka Army (SLA) said troops have been to assist flood affected people in Badulla after torrential rains had caused disruptions to normal life and caused considerable damages over the past several days. Troops helped in evacuating people to safer locations, clearing waterways to enable the uninterrupted flow of flood water, road clearing and traffic handling.

The Department of Meteorology in Sri Lanka reported 152 mm of rain in 24 hours to 31 October in Thellippalai in Jaffna. Further heavy rain and strong winds are forecast.

Troops from the Sri Lanka Army assist in flood hit areas of Badulla district. Photo: Sri Lanka Army