Fact Check: Sri Lanka Met Department Did Not Predict 45C to 55C Heat in April and May

A viral WhatsApp message is warning Sri Lankans to brace for extremely high temperatures in the coming weeks, a claim that has spread rapidly across social media, causing confusion and fear. But Sri Lanka’s meteorological authorities say no such extreme heatwave is expected, and the message is entirely false. What’s circulating is a mix of exaggerated warnings, fabricated institutional names, and routine heat-safety advice repackaged to look like an emergency alert. Here’s what we found.

Claim:

The message says that Sri Lanka will have very high temperatures ranging between 45°C and 55°C from late April to mid-May. The message goes on to say that people should stay indoors between 10 am to 3 pm and gives a long list of safety tips that are said to come from the Meteorological Department and a “Civil Protection Directorate.” You can check out such posts here and here.

Fact

Sri Lanka’s official authorities have not issued any such warning, and the extreme temperatures mentioned are not realistic for the country.

What we found:

The Department of Meteorology Sri Lanka has confirmed that no such warning has been sent out. Kasun Pasquel, a meteorologist in charge, said to us that the department has not predicted temperatures anywhere near 45°C–55°C and has not sent out any warnings that match the viral message.

He said that Sri Lanka is currently having warm weather, which is not unusual. March and April are part of the inter-monsoon period, when temperatures are usually higher, especially in places like Ratnapura, Kurunegala, and Mattala. Because of this, people may feel hotter, but that doesn’t mean there is an extreme or new rise in temperature. However, he says the Met department is advising people to limit their outdoor hours and take general precautions to protect themselves from the heat, as they have in previous years during these months.

Gayana Hendawitharana, Deputy Director of Climate Studies and Training of the Met Department, gave us more details. She said that there is no scientific reason for temperatures to rise to the levels mentioned in the viral message. Computer models and climate forecasts say that Sri Lanka will not see such extreme temperatures in April or May. 

She also said that even though people may feel temperatures above 40°C because of humidity and other factors, this is not the same as the actual recorded air temperature. This difference is important because it can cause confusion and exaggeration in public talks about heat.

She said that there is a 70% chance that El Niño will form around June, which could change the weather patterns in the area. But even in these conditions, the message says that temperatures are not likely to reach the extreme levels that were said.

Another big problem with the viral message is that it says it came from a “Civil Protection Directorate.” Investigations show that there is no such institution in Sri Lanka, which suggests that the message is either made up or taken from something that was made in another country. 

The message does give some general safety tips, like staying hydrated, avoiding direct sunlight, and resting during hot weather. However, these are just normal health tips and are not proof of an impending extreme heat emergency. Some other claims, like that heat can make cell phones explode, are false and not backed up. 

Sri Lanka is actually going through the normal seasonal heat for this time of year, and the government has told people to be careful and not spend too much time outside during the hottest parts of the day. But don’t get this advice mixed up with the false and exaggerated claims that are going around online. 

Temperatures in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is close to the equator, so the weather stays warm and tropical all year long. Daytime temperatures in most lowland and coastal areas are usually between 26°C and 32°C. High humidity can make the weather feel even hotter. The North Central and Eastern parts of the country, which are in the dry zone, usually have higher temperatures. During the hottest times, they can get as high as 34°C to 35°C. 

The months of March to May are usually the hottest in Sri Lanka, when temperatures are at their highest across most of the island. During this time, the areas farther from the coast can feel especially hot and dry before the monsoon rains come. Sri Lanka’s climate is heavily affected by two monsoon systems: the southwest monsoon, which lasts from May to September, and the northeast monsoon, which lasts from December to February. These systems bring rain and make the days a little cooler, but they also make the air more humid. 

The central highlands, on the other hand, are much cooler because they are higher up. Nuwara Eliya and Kandy are two examples of this. In these areas, the temperature during the day is usually between 15°C and 25°C, and at night it can get very cold, sometimes dropping to around 10°C. Sri Lanka can be hot and humid, especially in the lowlands. However, temperatures above 40°C are very rare and not typical of the country’s climate.More details can be read here, here and here 

Conclusion 

In short, the viral WhatsApp message is a hoax that mixes normal heat advice with false and scary claims. People should only trust information from reliable and official sources like the Sri Lankan Department of Meteorology and not share messages that haven’t been verified, as these could cause unnecessary panic.

References

https://www.statistics.gov.lk/abstract2024/chapter1

https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/sri-lanka-climate

https://tradingeconomics.com/sri-lanka/temperature

https://www.climatechange.lk/Climate_Profile.html

Banner Image: Photo by Rijk van de Kaa on Unsplash

Sections of this article may have been developed with the assistance of artificial intelligence tools to support research, drafting and language refinement. All information has been reviewed, edited and verified by the author/editor to ensure accuracy, context and editorial integrity. The responsibility for the final content, interpretations and conclusions rests solely with the publisher.