Severe winds hit Sri Lanka: Trees uprooted, power cut, transport delayed

Due to strong winds that swept through Colombo and several other areas last night (May 29), trees were uprooted causing significant damage and in some places buildings also collapsed.

Meanwhile, reports indicate that power outages occurred in many parts of Colombo.

It was observed that trees had fallen along several sections of the Colombo–Galle Road, from Kollupitiya to Wellawatte, as well as in multiple locations around Grandpass. A large tree that fell on St. Joseph’s Street in Grandpass damaged six nearby houses.

In addition, due to the severe wind conditions that prevailed overnight, a tree fell across the railway tracks between Wandurawa and Keenawala stations, blocking both lines of the main railway route.

As a result, the night mail train from Batticaloa on the northern route, as well as trains heading toward Rambukkana on the main line, have experienced travel disruptions. It is also reported that the train heading toward Rambukkana is currently stopped at Ragama.