Torrential rain hits Maldivian capital; authorities prepare for possible flooding

The national weather agency has issued a yellow alert for torrential rain and thunderstorms in central Maldives, including the capital Male’ City.

The weather advisory by the Maldives Meteorological Service on Wednesday morning came shortly after the skies over Male’ turned gray, unleashing thunder and lightning.

Police and soldiers have been mobilized to deal with potential flooding.

The current yellow alert is in effect for the area from K. Atoll to L. Atoll from 10:45 am to 02:00 pm on Wednesday.

The weather agency warns the area will be affected by torrential rain and thunderstorms with gust winds of 40 miles per hour, as well as rough seas.

An official from the Meteorological Service told Sun that they forecast torrential rain over Male’ for the next 24 hours, resulting in possible flooding. It is expected to continue to rain – though less heavily – through Friday, and the weather is expected to begin clearing up on Saturday.

The weather agency attributed the current spell of bad weather to a low-pressure system in the Bay of Bengal.