The Centre said that the recent forecast issued by the Meteorology Department of Sri Lanka has predicted that all districts of Sri Lanka have more chance (higher probability) of receiving below normal rainfall during the month of February 2016
| District | Average rainfall in February - mm |
Probability % |
||
| Below | Normal | Above | ||
| Colombo | 89.7 | 65 | 20 | 15 |
| Kalutara | 119.3 | 65 | 20 | 15 |
| Galle | 118.2 | 70 | 20 | 10 |
| Matara | 99.7 | 65 | 20 | 15 |
| Hambantota | 63.7 | 65 | 25 | 10 |
| Ampara | 144.9 | 70 | 20 | 10 |
| Batticaloa | 121.9 | 65 | 25 | 10 |
| Trincomalee | 82.4 | 65 | 20 | 15 |
| Mullaithivu | 59.9 | 60 | 25 | 15 |
| Jaffna | 32.5 | 60 | 25 | 15 |
| Killinochchi | 50.3 | 60 | 25 | 15 |
| Mannar | 48.4 | 60 | 25 | 15 |
| Puttalam | 38.5 | 65 | 25 | 10 |
| Gampaha | 76.8 | 65 | 25 | 10 |
| Kegalle | 98.3 | 65 | 20 | 15 |
| Ratnapura | 117.9 | 65 | 20 | 15 |
| Monaragala | 110.4 | 70 | 20 | 10 |
| Badulla | 160.6 | 70 | 20 | 10 |
| Pollonnaruwa | 106.2 | 70 | 20 | 10 |
| Vavuniya | 53.7 | 60 | 25 | 15 |
| Anuradapura | 55.7 | 70 | 20 | 10 |
| Kurunegala | 62.5 | 70 | 20 | 10 |
| Matale | 121.5 | 70 | 20 | 10 |
| Kandy | 118.3 | 70 | 20 | 10 |
| Nuwaraeliya | 104.8 | 70 | 20 | 10 |
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department and other international met agencies have also signaled a high likelihood of receiving below normal rains during First Inter Monsoon (FIM) rainy season during March and April of 2016. Thus, the Centre informs to undertake other field crop cultivation during 2016 Yala season where only supplementary irrigation is assured. Meanwhile, this expected dry weather condition in next three months may likely to reduce the inflows to both minor and major tanks of the country posing a substantial threat to irrigated agriculture, especially for paddy cultivation in Dry and Intermediate zones, the Natural Resources Management Centre of the Department of Agriculture further said.
