National Meteorological Service Warns of Heavy Rain and Flooding as West Monsoon Strengthens

The National Meteorological Service has announced that weather conditions are expected to deteriorate across a large part of the Maldives over the next five days due to the strengthening of the west monsoon. The service stated that rain is forecast to fall across a large part of the country starting from Friday until the end of 11 November, with heavy rain possible on some islands, leading to flash floods and flooding incidents. Winds blowing from the west-southwest and west at speeds between 5 and 15 miles per hour are expected from 10:00 AM on Friday to 10:00 AM on Saturday, with winds in the Vaavu Atoll expected to reach approximately 35 miles per hour. A wind white alert has been issued from Haa Alif Atoll to Haa Dhaalu Atoll until 4:00 PM on Friday. Wave heights in the Vaavu Atoll are expected to be between 2 and 5 feet. The service has urged all parties to pay attention to the latest meteorological information and take necessary precautions to avoid damages. Ongoing rains have already caused water levels to rise within islands, water entering homes, equipment damage, power cuts, and incidents such as trees falling down.