Typical Climatic Conditions Associated with El Niño
Based on analyses of past El Niño events that occurred between 1950 and 2025:
• Rainfall during July and August may be below normal, particularly in the dry zone areas.
• From October onward, rainfall is generally expected to be above normal.
• If a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) develops, enhanced rainfall conditions may continue until
December.
Sectors Requiring Attention
• Appropriate measures should be taken for water resource management during July and August.
• Increased rainfall expected from October onward may lead to floods and landslides, requiring
preparedness and close monitoring. The forecasts are important for sectors such as, Agriculture
/Water management /Livestock /Health /Energy /Other climate-sensitive sectors
• Attention should be paid to official information issued by the Department of Meteorology.
Actions by the Department of Meteorology
The Department of Meteorology continuously monitors the evolving situation and issues:
• Weekly and monthly seasonal forecasts and Monthly analyses of rainfall data to monitor
meteorological drought conditions.
As weather conditions are influenced not only by El Niño but also by other climatic factors, updated forecasts
and advisories are regularly shared with relevant stakeholder organizations (Irrigation/ Water Management
Committee /Department of Agriculture/National Building Research Institute/Disaster Management Centre
(DMC)/Ministry of Health /Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation...etc).
The Department also provides technical support to the committee established through a Cabinet decision to
address climate-related impacts.
The Department’s monthly rainfall outlook for July to September 2026 is attached.
https://meteo.gov.lk/pdfs/el_nino_updates.pdf
------ Post added on Aug 3, 2026 at 4:36 PM
Based on analyses of past El Niño events that occurred between 1950 and 2025:
• Rainfall during July and August may be below normal, particularly in the dry zone areas.
• From October onward, rainfall is generally expected to be above normal.
• If a positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) develops, enhanced rainfall conditions may continue until
December.
Sectors Requiring Attention
• Appropriate measures should be taken for water resource management during July and August.
• Increased rainfall expected from October onward may lead to floods and landslides, requiring
preparedness and close monitoring. The forecasts are important for sectors such as, Agriculture
/Water management /Livestock /Health /Energy /Other climate-sensitive sectors
• Attention should be paid to official information issued by the Department of Meteorology.
Actions by the Department of Meteorology
The Department of Meteorology continuously monitors the evolving situation and issues:
• Weekly and monthly seasonal forecasts and Monthly analyses of rainfall data to monitor
meteorological drought conditions.
As weather conditions are influenced not only by El Niño but also by other climatic factors, updated forecasts
and advisories are regularly shared with relevant stakeholder organizations (Irrigation/ Water Management
Committee /Department of Agriculture/National Building Research Institute/Disaster Management Centre
(DMC)/Ministry of Health /Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation...etc).
The Department also provides technical support to the committee established through a Cabinet decision to
address climate-related impacts.
The Department’s monthly rainfall outlook for July to September 2026 is attached.
https://meteo.gov.lk/pdfs/el_nino_updates.pdf
------ Post added on Aug 3, 2026 at 4:36 PM
