Sri Lankan authorities have ordered the suspension of classes in public schools throughout the country this Friday, when the arrival of the huge cloud of pollution from India that brings with it the cyclone ‘Mandous’ is expected, just hours from making landfall.
Air quality has improved somewhat on Friday but remains unhealthy in the capital, Colombo, and extremely harmful in municipalities such as Badulla, according to data from the National Research Organization.
For this reason, the Sri Lankan Ministry of Education has decided to declare this Friday as a special holiday «for all public schools», according to a statement reported by the NewsFirst portal.
«The decision was taken after consultation with the Meteorological Department and the Disaster Management Centre on the current weather situation, where heavy smog is being experienced in many parts of the country,» the release added.
At the same time the national meteorological agency has warned that the ‘Mandous’ will make landfall towards the north coast of Tamil-Nadu around midnight Friday to Saturday local time (around 20.00 in mainland Spain), with waves around 2.5 to 3.5 meters high, and possibility of downpours in the province of Sabaragamuwa and in the populated municipalities of Galle, Matara and Trincomalee.
Naval and fishing communities are advised not to venture into the deep and shallow sea areas off the coast extending from Mannar to Pottuvil through Kankasanturai, Trincomalee and Batticaloa and southwest Bay of Bengal until further notice.
