Met Office warns of harsh weather for next 24 hours

Maldives Department of Meteorology (Met Office) has warned the public to expect harsh weather across the country, for the next 24 hours.

The department’s Meteorological Service said that many parts of the country are likely to experience thunderstorms, with the central region experiencing heavy rain, within the next 24 hours.

They said that southern atolls can expect average winds of 13 miles per hour (mph) from south and south-west and winds between 10 mph and 20 mph in other parts of the country from west and south west, with gusts of up to 50 mph.

Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has urged the public exercise caution in travelling at sea, especially in the central and northern areas.

“[MNDF advices the public] to pay special attention to weather when travelling at night, for cargo ships to carry lighter loads and to always have lifejackets available, for all vessels to carry appropriate drainage equipment and to check the communication sets before setting out to sea. We also urge the public to heed the additional precautionary measures required by the regulations of sea travel,” the MNDF statement read.

Maldives is often subjected to damages and disasters at sea during times of harsh weather.