Sri Lankan schools closed on Friday as health and environment officials said air quality across most of the island was unhealthy, partly due to extreme weather conditions.
Polluted air from neighboring India was compounding the problem, authorities said, as a storm in the Bay of Bengal brought heavy rain and wind to Sri Lanka in recent days.
A haze hung over the capital Colombo and other parts of the country, with the level of fine particles in the air reaching unhealthy levels.
“The current pollution has arisen due to the combination of local air pollutants and transboundary air pollution,” said the National Building Research Organization, a state agency involved in environmental monitoring and risk management.
SRI LANKA PRESIDENT FLEES COUNTRY, PROTESTERS TAKEOVER PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE AS STATE OF EMERGENCY IS DECLARED
“This condition can be seen in all parts of Sri Lanka and tends to cause health problems,” he added.
Smog and fog shroud the skyline in Colombo, Sri Lanka on December 9, 2022. Schools in Sri Lanka were forced to close on Friday due to poor air quality.
(AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena)
Health Services Director General Asela Gunawardena said the condition would continue for the next two weeks and advised people to limit the amount of time they spend outdoors and to wear a face mask when outside to minimize risk. to health.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
At least two people have been killed and two others injured as heavy rains and winds have hit many parts of Sri Lanka over the past two days. Dozens of houses were damaged by falling trees and several roads were blocked.
The Meteorology Department said on Friday that a severe cyclonic storm was in the Bay of Bengal, about 143 miles northeast of Sri Lanka, and was likely moving towards India.
