The drop in winds and the sun being directly over Sri Lanka until April 15 are main causes for the prevailing excessive hot weather, the Meteorology Department stated.
Meteorology Department Deputy Director Anusha Warnasuriya said clouds are not seen in the morning hours during the inter-monsoon period. Therefore, sunlight falls directly on the ground aggravating the hot weather conditions.
She said thundershowers could be experienced in the evenings in April and May.
The temperature in Colombo marked as 33 degrees Celsius while Jaffna, Ratnapura, and Vavuniya were at 35 degrees Celsius yesterday.
Anuradhapura reported a temperature exceeding 36.1 degrees Celsius. The average maximum temperature in several parts of Sri Lanka increased to 35 degree Celsius.
National Hospital Coordinator Pushpa Ramya De Soysa said the prevailing heat wave may cause children and the elderly population to be dehydrated since their endurance level is low.
De Soysa said increased thirst, dry mouth, decreased urine output, headache, dry skin, nausea, and dizziness are dehydration symptoms and the public is cautioned to be vigilant on the symptoms and seek medical attention. She also instructed the public to consume a lot of fluids to prevent dehydration.
The public is advised to wear cotton clothing and to avoid tight clothes as it may create discomfort. De Soysa further advised the public to refrain from outings in the afternoon and to wear sunglasses when going out.