Met office warns of stormy run-up to Republic Day as monsoon strengthens
The strengthening westerly monsoon will bring heavy rain and thunder to parts of the country through Republic Day on Wednesday 11 November, with storm-cloud winds of up to 40 mph, the Maldives Meteorological Service says.
Parts of the Maldives face five days of disturbed weather, lasting until Republic Day on Wednesday 11 November, the Maldives Meteorological Service has said. The cause is a strengthening westerly monsoon, known locally as hulhangu, which the Met office expects to bring heavy rain and thunder to various areas, and possibly keri in some places.
Winds should generally blow at 5 to 15 mph but could reach 40 mph inside storm clouds. Travellers have been asked to exercise caution.
Station forecasts, 7 to 9 November
The forecast posted on the Met office's website on 6 November gives 30°C at all five stations it covers. Station by station, it shows:
- K. Hulhulé, L. Kadhdhoo and S. Gan: thundershowers on all three days
- GDh. Kaadedhdhoo: thundershowers on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November, then slight showers on Monday 9 November
- HDh. Hanimaadhoo: partly cloudy on Saturday 7 November, then thundershowers on Sunday 8 and Monday 9 November
Recent warnings and the month ahead
A White Alert, the Met office's information level, was issued on 5 November for the stretch from Gaafu Alifu Atoll down to Addu City, warning of 35 mph gusts with heavy rain and thunderstorms from 14:30 to 19:30. By the afternoon of Friday 6 November, the alerts page showed none in force.
Most of the northern and central atolls are likely to see above-normal rainfall this month, according to the outlook issued on 1 November. For the southern atolls, it expects rainfall between normal and above normal.
Out of step with the nakaiy
The forecast cuts against the traditional calendar, which divides the Maldivian year into 27 nakaiy (ނަކަތް), each 13 or 14 days long. Every nakaiy is associated with a characteristic weather pattern and is used in planning farming, fishing and travel; 18 fall within hulhangu, the south-west monsoon, and nine within iruvai, the north-east monsoon.
In that reckoning, calm days and good fishing belong to Viha, the nakaiy now under way, which covers the first 13 days of November. Nora takes over from 14 to 26 November, bringing light winds, occasional sun showers and unsettled currents in the run-up to the north-east monsoon.
