Heavy rain expected across southern atolls this weekend

Heavy rainfall is expected to prevail across southern atolls this weekend, says the Maldives Meteorological Service (MMS).

The department revealed that islands in northern atolls experienced mainly fine weather on Friday, however, scattered showers are expected to prevail across islands of northern atolls on Saturday.

Central atolls experienced scattered showers on Friday and heavy rain showers have been predicted to prevail in some islands of southern atolls on Saturday.

Further, MMS revealed that some islands in southern atolls will experience heavy rain showers this weekend.

Mainly fine weather was experienced across northern atolls earlier on Friday. Isolated showers occurred over central atolls, with scattered showers and thunderstorms experienced in southern atolls earlier in the day.

Winds were light and variable becoming northwest to northerly at 3 – 10 miles per hour in northern and central atolls and southeast to southerly at 7 – 17 miles per hour on Friday morning.

Seas were slight in northern atolls and central atolls, with moderate seas experienced in the south with a wave height of 1 – 3 feet in northern and central atolls and 2 – 5 feet in southern atolls.

Due to the heavy rainfall and thunderstorms, MMS issued a white alert from Laamu atoll to southernmost Addu City on Friday morning, followed by a yellow alert issued from Gaaf Alif atoll to Gaaf Dhaal atoll after torrential rain and thunderstorms were predicted in the region.

Although tides were recorded as high as 2.8 feet in the early hours of Friday, they dropped as low as 1.2 feet in the morning and rose to 1.8 feet by afternoon in the northern atolls.

It will drop as low as -0.6 feet by sundown and rise up to 2.7 feet in the early hours of Saturday, before dropping to 1.2 feet by morning and rising further to 1.7 feet by afternoon and dropping lower to -0.3 by nightfall.

Central atolls experienced tides rising as high as 2.5 feet in the early hours of Friday, dropping to 0.6 feet by morning and ascended to 1.6 feet by afternoon, and is expected to drop to -0.5 feet after nightfall. Tides will rise to 2.3 feet in the early hours of Saturday and drop to 0.7 feet by Saturday morning, before rising to 1.5 feet by Saturday afternoon.

The department revealed that southern atolls will experience tides dropping from 2.8 feet to 2.1 feet by the end of Friday and ascending to 2.5 feet by Saturday morning before dropping to 1.9 feet in the evening.

Maldives experiences heavy rain showers and adverse weather conditions during the southwest monsoon as well as the northeast monsoon. Extensive periods of strong winds and adverse weather conditions are usually experienced mostly during the southwest monsoon.

Such adverse weather conditions have caused trees to uproot, roofs to be torn off, and heavy debris falling onto houses, causing immense damage. The squally weather during monsoon also causes extensive damage to crop in some islands and presents challenges for seafarers and fishermen as well. Some islands have been experiencing swell waves surges during high tides as well.