A white alert has been issued over regions expected to experience strong monsoon activities.

The Maldives Meteorological Service (MET) issued the white alert for heavy showers and thunderstorms across the regions between Laamu atoll to Addu City on Thursday evening.

The department has predicted heavy rain shower and thunderstorms, with winds gusting up to 45 miles per hour, in the southern atolls.

The advisory is in effect from 4pm to 9pm and is one among several alerts being issued over the course of the past few days since the southwest monsoon began, especially in southern atolls.

The southernmost city is one of the many regions being heavily affected by the southwest monsoon activities, with the city council having stated that damage in the wake of the continuous rain showers and strong winds, are heavier than they have ever experienced before. Other regions including Fuvahmulah City have also been experiencing the adverse effects of the monsoon, including strong winds tearing off roofs and uprooting trees.

Generally, MET predicts a fairly widespread rain showers over the country, with isolated heavy showers and thunderstorms over the north and central atolls.

Southern atolls are also expected to experience a few rain showers.

The department predicted that winds will gust up to 40 miles per hour during showers, southwest to westerly at 10 – 20 miles per hour in the north and central atolls, and south to southwesterly at 6 – 16 miles per hour throughout the rest of the country.

Seas are expected to be slight to moderate during showers in the south and moderate becoming rough during showers over the rest of the country.

The department urged caution against swell wave surges, expected during high tide times.