Govt. urges media responsibility amid confusion over recent weather systems

CABINET Spokesperson and Mass Media Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa yesterday issued a strong appeal to the media and the public to act responsibly and avoid spreading confusion over recent weather events, including the Cyclone Ditwah, warning that misinformation risks undermining the country’s recovery efforts at a critical moment.

- By CHARUMINI DE SILVA

Clarifying speculation surrounding the sequence of weather disturbances, he said public discourse had wrongly conflated multiple, unrelated atmospheric systems.

“Although attention was drawn to atmospheric disturbances on 23 and 24 November, this report states that the possibility of a low-pressure area forming was mentioned only on 25 November,” Dr. Jayatissa said, stressing that timelines and technical facts must be respected.

He explained that Sri Lanka experienced disturbed weather conditions between 13 and 18 November, which evolved only into a low-pressure area before dissipating without escalating further. Subsequently, a separate system, Cyclone Senya, developed around the 26 and 27 November and affected Malaysia, Indonesia and islands including Sumatra.

Cyclone Ditwah, he stressed, formed only after the 24 November and was an entirely different weather event.