Health and environment officials in Sri Lanka say that schools across the country were closed on Friday as air quality across the country was unhealthy partly due to extreme weather conditions.
As a storm in the Bay of Bengal triggered heavy rains and winds across Sri Lanka in recent days, polluted air from neighbouring India was aggravating the problem, authorities said.
“The current pollution has arisen due to the combination of local air pollutants and transboundary air pollution,” said the National Building Research Organization, a state agency involved in environmental monitoring and risk management.
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“This condition can be seen in all parts of Sri Lanka and it has a tendency to cause health problems,” it added.
Reacting to the development, Director General of Health Services Asela Gunawardena said that the condition would continue for the next two weeks and he advised people to limit the amount of time they spend outdoors and to wear a face mask when they are outside to minimize their health risk.
At least two people were killed and another two were injured as heavy rains and winds lashed many parts of Sri Lanka the past two days. Dozens of houses were damaged by falling trees and several roads were blocked.
The Department of Meteorology said that a severe cyclonic storm was in the Bay of Bengal, about 230 kilometres (143 miles) northeast of Sri Lanka, and likely to move toward India.
Adapted from AP.
