Met Office: High chances of swell waves in the next five days

While Maldives is expected to see bad weather conditions during the new year holidays, Maldives Metrological Service (Met Office) has warned that there are high chances of swell waves across various Maldivian regions over the course of next five days.

Met Office issued a weather news brief on Tuesday in which the authority said Maldives is expected to experience fairly widespread rainfall including occasional heavy showers and thunderstorms, strong winds and swell waves over the next five days. The forecast was attributed to the influence of a cyclonic circulation located southeast Sri Lanka along with the associated trough.

As per the authority, winds will generally be from the north/northeast direction in the northern and central atolls and west/northwest direction in southern atolls at 15 to 25 miles per hour. However, gusts may reach up to 50 miles per hour during shows.

The sea is expected to be rough across the country.

Notably, many people are expected to travel during the upcoming days as schools are set to reopen after the holidays on Sunday.

As such, Met Office has advised all individuals, especially seafarers, to be mindful of the weather forecasts and advisories issued by the authority.

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has also urged the public to take precautions to safeguard one's self and implement measures to minimize the risk of damage to property and belongings 

In this regard, they have advised to:

• Use sandbags or similar barriers to prevent water intrusion into homes in case of flooding 
• Relocate food supplies and household appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators from flood-prone areas to higher and safer locations 
• Secure roofs beforehand using ropes or other appropriate materials if strong winds pose a risk of dislodging the roof 
• Fasten or store any items that can be carried away by strong winds 
• Turn off and unplug electrical devices when not in use to avoid damage or hazards
• Prepare in advance by stocking up on staple foods and essential supplies 
• If sea traveling, obtain updated weather information from relevant authorities before departure and ensure proper safety and communication measures are in place during the journey. 

Maldives has experienced severe weather conditions throughout this month as a result of which homes in both Male’ and atolls were damaged due to floods.