Watch on 53 km near Ratnapura
Around Ratnapura, km 64–118.
You reach it about Wed 06:55, 2 h after leaving, and are through it by Wed 08:55.
This bulletin ends Tue 20:00, before you get there. The next one usually comes out 16:45–17:45: check it before you set off.
Since the rainfall within the past 24 hours has exceeded 75mm, if the rain continues, be watchful on the possibility of landslides, slope failures, rock falls, cutting failures and ground subsidence.
- Ohiya (Horton Plains) to Haldummulla
Not listedkm 0–65 - Ratnapura
Watchkm 65–118
Before you go
We don’t know about road closures or damage. Be cautious on the way, especially in the hills in rain.
About the Ohiya (Horton Plains)–Ratnapura road
The fastest road we know from Ohiya (Horton Plains) to Ratnapura is 118 km, about 4 h, via Boralanda, Haldummulla.
Main roads on it: Ratunapura-Wellawaya Road (38 km), Ratnapura-Wewelwatte Road (24 km), Balangoda-Rassagala-Uwella Road (14 km).
DS divisions on this road
It passes through 6 DS divisions in 2 districts, in travel order:
Past NBRI bulletins
Most often listed on this road, in the 41 NBRI bulletins we have passed on since Sun 20 Sept: Ratnapura (35), Imbulpe (19), Balangoda (17).
A record of past bulletins, not a forecast. Not being listed doesn’t mean safe.
Steep terrain
About 14 km of it runs through steep terrain (slopes over 30° beside the road). The longest stretch is near Haldummulla.
Terrain beside the road, from a satellite elevation model: not the road’s gradient and not a landslide hazard rating.
How to read this
- Not an official service. NBRI’s warnings are passed on as issued.
- Rain levels compare each division with its own satellite record since 2000. Satellites can miss heavy local downpours.
- Gauge sources: Department of Meteorology and Irrigation Department gauge readings, passed on as published. Met gauge sites are approximate. Compared with each division's own satellite record since 2000. This is not a warning and does not replace NBRI's levels. Satellites can miss heavy local downpours, so it never means a road is safe. Satellite data up to 10 Nov, 05:30. Checked Tue 10 Nov, 11:20.
Landslide (NBRI)
×| Warned DS division | Level | From km |
|---|---|---|
| Balangoda | Watch | 65 |
| Ratnapura | Watch | 82 |
Rain on route
×Light rain, up to 8.3 mm in 24 h
Rain gauges near your route
Key
- 4 Samanala Wawa, 0 mm, dry
- 11 Ratnapura, 8.3 mm, light rain
9 gauges not reporting.
Gauge coverage: most of the route.
NBRI's warning stays in force after rain eases.
Satellite estimate
- Last 3 days: among the wettest 5% of 3-day periods since 2000 in Imbulpe, Balangoda, Ratnapura.
Rain outlook (computer model) · Next day: Chance of a rare wet day
- Next day: a chance of a wet day of the kind that comes about 1–2 days a month in Welimada, Haputale, Haldummulla, Imbulpe +2 (the wettest 5% of days there; several times the usual chance). (10 Nov, 05:30 to 11 Nov, 05:30)
- Next 3 days: a chance of a wet day of the kind that comes about 1–2 days a month in Welimada, Haputale, Haldummulla, Imbulpe +2 (the wettest 5% of days there; several times the usual chance). (10 Nov, 05:30 to 13 Nov, 05:30)
- "Not signalled" never means dry or safe. This is a computer model, not a warning, and it never changes NBRI's levels. Like the satellite, it reads hill-country rain low and can miss heavy local downpours.
- ECMWF ensemble forecast (open data, CC BY 4.0), run 9 Nov, 17:30, compared with each division's own satellite record.
Rivers and catchments
×Crosses 10 named rivers · 3 basins · Walawe Ganga basin rain: Rare here (1–2 days a month) · rain upstream of Kalu Ganga: Rare here (1–2 days a month)
Mahaweli Ganga · Walawe Ganga · Kalu Ganga
River basins along this road
- km 0–23 · Mahaweli Ganga basin
- km 23–81 · Walawe Ganga basin
- km 81–118 · Kalu Ganga basin
Satellite rain over these basins
- Walawe Ganga basin · Last 3 days: Rare here (1–2 days a month)
- Kalu Ganga basin · Last 3 days: Rare here (1–2 days a month)
- Mahaweli Ganga basin · Last 3 days: Unusual here (3 days a month)
A whole-basin satellite average against that basin’s own record since 2000, not the area upstream of any one point. Satellites under-read hill rain. Not a warning.
Where this road crosses a river or stream
- km 14 · Ellatotakanda Oya (Mahaweli Ganga basin) · flows north
28 km² drain to this point - km 29 · Diyakana Oya (Walawe Ganga basin) · flows south-west
0.5 km² drain to this point - km 33 · Patana Oya (Walawe Ganga basin) · flows east
0.2 km² drain to this point - km 39 · Weli Oya (Walawe Ganga basin) · flows south-east
23 km² drain to this point - km 46 · Malape Oya (Walawe Ganga basin) · flows south-east
2.7 km² drain to this point - km 51 · Kiriketi Oya (Walawe Ganga basin) · flows south-east
19 km² drain to this point - km 54 · Belihul Oya (Walawe Ganga basin) · flows south-east
50 km² drain to this point - km 66 · Walawe Ganga · flows south-east
132 km² drain to this point - km 89 · Randi Oya (Kalu Ganga basin) · flows south-west
18 km² drain to this point - km 107 · Kalu Ganga
2.1 km² drain to this point
Rathnapura, an Irrigation Department gauge on this river (640 km² upstream · rain over that area, Last 3 days: Rare here (1–2 days a month)): 39.5 mm in the 24 hours to 10 Nov, 08:30 (Moderate); 0 mm in the 3 hours to 10 Nov, 11:02.
River level 4.64 m · Below Alert · falling over about 3 hours (Department’s thresholds: Alert 5.2, minor flood 7.5, major flood 9.5 m) - km 112–114 · Kalu Ganga · 4 crossings
199 km² drain to this point · rain over that area, Last 3 days: Rare here (1–2 days a month)
Rathnapura, an Irrigation Department gauge on this river (640 km² upstream · rain over that area, Last 3 days: Rare here (1–2 days a month)): 39.5 mm in the 24 hours to 10 Nov, 08:30 (Moderate); 0 mm in the 3 hours to 10 Nov, 11:02.
River level 4.64 m · Below Alert · falling over about 3 hours (Department’s thresholds: Alert 5.2, minor flood 7.5, major flood 9.5 m)
And 7 more unnamed streams on our map
Where this road runs beside a river
- km 113–114 · beside the Kalu Ganga
Rivers and basins come from our own map of Sri Lanka’s river network. Flow direction, where shown, is worked out from the height of the land. This is orientation only, not a flood warning.
The area draining to a crossing is worked out from a terrain model (about 90 m cells) and is approximate. The rain over it is the satellite average for that same area, against its own record since 2000. Areas under about 150 km² are smaller than the satellite can see, so they show no rain.
River levels are the Irrigation Department’s own readings at its gauge, against its own thresholds. This is not a flood warning: flood warnings come from the Irrigation Department and DMC.
Weather forecast (Met Dept)
×No advisory for this road
- No Department of Meteorology advisory is in force for Badulla and Ratnapura.
- Forecast issued 10 Nov, 05:30
- Showers or thundershowers will occur at times in the Northern province and in Trincomalee district.
- Showers or thundershowers will occur elsewhere in the island after 1.00 p.m.
- Covers Ratnapura and Badulla on this road: Heavy falls above 100mm are likely at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Galle and Matara districts.
- Showers may occur in the coastal areas of the Southern Province during the morning.
- The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
- Covers Ratnapura and Badulla on this road: Misty conditions can be expected at some places in Western, Sabaragamuwa, Central and Uva provinces and in Galle, Matara and Kurunegala districts during the early hours of the morning.
- Forecast for the main cities, Tuesday, 10 November 2026 (issued 9 Nov, 16:00)
- Ratnapura: Showers or thundershowers after 1.00p.m. Max 33°C, min 23°C.
- A forecast never lowers or replaces the NBRI landslide warning above.
- Forecast and advisories by the Department of Meteorology, Sri Lanka, as issued. LankaWatch is not an official service.