Yellow alert extended till tonight with no improvement to weather conditions

Maldives Metrological Service (Met Office) has extended the yellow alert issued until 13:00pm this afternoon to 19:00pm tonight.

Separate yellow alerts were issued for northern and central Maldives from 8:15am to 13:00pm on Thursday, warning of torrential rain and strong winds. The yellow alert for both regions has been extended until 19:00pm tonight.

Met Office has forecasted torrential rain and strong winds of 25-30 miles per hour and gusts of 50 miles per hour during this period, with rough seas and waves of seven to nine feet. The weather agency states swell waves are expected at some islands during high tides.

Henceforth, they have advised the public to stay vigilant and take precautionary measures to safeguard property and belongings.

Maldives has been experiencing widespread rain over a large part of the country this week. On Tuesday, 89.4 millimeters of rainfall – which weather experts said was unusually high - resulted severe flooding in the capital, Male’ City, damaging homes and disrupting transport.

The northern Maldives also experienced torrential rain, with at least 20 islands reporting flood damage to homes.

Islands in the HA. Atoll were the worst-hit, with at least six families relocated from flood-affected homes in Hoarafushi, and two families each in Baarah, Kelaa and Ihavandhoo.

Met Office states widespread rain with thunderstorms is expected to prevail over the country for the remainder of this week.