Severe pollution brought on by extreme weather forces Sri Lanka to shut schools

Schools across Sri Lanka were closed on Friday as health and environment officials said the air quality in most parts of the island nation was unhealthy partly due to extreme weather conditions.

Polluted air from neighboring India was aggravating the problem, authorities said, as a storm in the Bay of Bengal triggered heavy rains and winds across Sri Lanka in recent days.

A haze hung over the capital, Colombo, and other parts of the country, with the level of fine particles in the air reaching unhealthy levels.

“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.

“This condition can be seen in all parts of Sri Lanka and it has a tendency to cause health problems,” it added.

Director General of Health Services Asela Gunawardena said 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 Friday that a severe cyclonic storm was in the Bay of Bengal, about 230 kilometers (143 miles) northeast of Sri Lanka, and likely to move toward India.