Sri Lanka Still without Doppler radar as Weather Disasters Escalate

Sri Lanka’s long-promised Doppler radar crucial for accurate storm tracking—is now expected only by 2027, raising fresh concern after the misfiring forecast of the recent cyclone. The radar, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), faced years of delays due to the pandemic, the economic crisis and stalled procurement. Contracts were signed in 2024 to install the system at the Puttalam meteorological station.

This comes after an earlier Doppler project collapsed in the mid-2000s, when a Rs 400 million radar bought under a WMO-funded scheme was found to be technically incompatible after installation. Its current status remains unknown.

With no Doppler coverage, the Met Department struggled to track rapidly intensifying weather systems, contributing to late warnings during the latest floods. The Director General has been barred from speaking to media as public criticism mounts over forecasting failures.

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