Two missing as heavy rain, strong winds batter Sri Lanka

Colombo: Two people are missing and over 120,000 families have been affected by days of heavy rain and strong winds that have lashed Sri Lanka, the Disaster Management Center said in a statement Monday according to Chinese state media.

According to a recent situation update, 45 houses were fully damaged from the adverse weather while 89 houses were partially damaged. Two business enterprises in the north were also damaged.

Two people in the north have been reported missing while one person has been injured, the Disaster Management Center said. The north has been the worst affected with over 56,000 families affected.

Fifty-two families were affected by landslides in the Ratnapura district, in south central Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka is facing heavy rain and strong winds from the annual south west monsoon, the Meteorology Department said in a weather update on Monday.

Heavy rain is also expected to hit the island's Western, Central, North Western and Sabaragamuwa provinces as well as the southern districts of Galle and Matara.

"There may be strong winds during thundershowers. The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimise damage caused by lightning activity," the Meteorology Department said.