Yellow Alert issued to central Maldives

Maldives Meteorological Service (Met Office) has issued a Yellow Alert to the central Maldives due to the strong winds and rough seas. The Met Office said that the alert would be extended up to 9:30 p.m. tonight as a safety precaution.

When the alert was issued today at 5:45 p.m., the Met Office said that winds are expected to pick up to 30-40 miles an hour and 55 miles during showers.

Director of the Meteorological Service, Ahmed Rasheed told Sun Media that it is important not to make journeys across the seas while the alert is in effect unless it’s absolutely necessary. And be mindful when traveling in the central Maldives since seas are rough in the area.

Yellow Alerts are issued by the Met Office as a warning to stay prepared for an emergency. It is not safe to travel at sea during thunderstorms with a yellow alert issued in a state where a tornado might be formed.

While a Yellow Alert is out on the central Maldives, the rest of the country has a while alert issued to expect heavy rain and thunderstorm.

Met Office warns that winds are expected to pick up to 15-25 miles an hour in the northern atolls and 45-50 miles during showers.