231 mm rainfall in Kelaa marks new national record
Winds could rise to 60 mph in the coming days, according to the Met Office.
The highest rainfall in the past 24 hours was recorded in Haa Alifu atoll Kelaa, the Met Office said on Tuesday.
Met Office weather forecaster Hussain Waheed told Atoll Times that 231.5 mm of rain fell in Kelaa in the past 24 hours.
He added that the previous record for the highest rainfall within 24 hours was 228 mm in 2015 at Gan, Addu.
The rain that started in Kelaa on Monday has not stopped. Schools on the island have also been closed.
According to the Kelaa Council:
-
The rain continues; damage caused by the rain is being investigated
-
No major damage was reported, but about 15 homes were reported to have sustained various damage
Apart from Kelaa, Haa Alifu atoll’s Uligam also received heavy rains on Tuesday. According to photos released by the island council, a stream has been cut to the sea to drain water inland. Many houses and the council office were also flooded.
According to the data released by the Met:
-
Haa Dhaalu atoll Hanimaadhoo received the second highest rainfall; 177.5 mm of rain
-
102 mm of rainfall in Raa atoll Ifuru
-
Hulhule island received the highest rainfall in the capital city area; that’s 12.9 mm of rain
In addition, the Met said:
-
The strongest winds were recorded in Faafu atoll Nilandhoo on Monday. The island was hit by winds of 46 mph
-
Thundershowers are expected in most parts of the country over the next five days
-
Winds could rise to 60 mph
The current downpour could bring a month of rain over the span of a few days, according to an Al Jazeera weather report. It is raining heavily in different parts of the country on Monday and Tuesday.
However, the Met Office told Atoll Times on Monday that nothing unusual as predicted by Al Jazeera has been observed yet.
