Will the Kalu Ganga rise in the next hour?

In the next hour, of the 5 gauges on the Kalu Ganga with a forecast, 5 rising. This is a forecast from the recent trend, the gauges upstream and rain, not an official warning.

Which gauges are on the Kalu Ganga?

From upstream to downstream: Ratnapura, Ellagawa, Magura, Kalawellawa (Millakanda), Putupaula.

Where does this come from and how often does it update?

River readings come from the Department of Irrigation's gauges, roughly once an hour, and this page checks for new ones every minute. This site is independent and not an official warning service: follow the Disaster Management Centre and call 117 in an emergency.

Kalu Ganga

4 of 5 gauges at alert or above · updated 12:10 am, 46 min ago

As of Tue, 27 Oct, 12:10 am (Sri Lanka time), 4 of the 5 reporting gauges on the Kalu Ganga are at or above an official mark (Alert, Minor flood or Major flood): Ratnapura (28.3 ft), Magura (16.8 ft), Kalawellawa (Millakanda) (22.6 ft), Putupaula (9.9 ft).

An amber warning says minor flooding may occur within 24 hours in low-lying areas of the Kalu River floodplain in Ratnapura and Kalutara districts; residents and drivers are urged to remain vigilant and take precautions.

Irrigation Department

River map

GaugeReservoirTap a gauge or reservoir for details.

Upstream

Downstream (sea)

Rain on this river

Fell, 24 h (gauge)Satellite, 24 hForecast, next 24 h

Ellagawa9913127

Kalawellawa (Millakanda)11614027

Magura9913127

Putupaula11814027

Ratnapura12910526

Gauge = what the gauge's sensor recorded. Satellite and forecast are estimates over the hills above each gauge. It can differ from the gauges.

Rain map

When does the Kalu Ganga flood?

Flood warnings come mostly between November and December, with a smaller peak in May.

It’s October: floods are less common than in November, but they do happen.

Recent floods

26 Oct 2026Ratnapura (minor flood)
21 Sep – 27 Sep 2026Kalawellawa (Millakanda) (minor flood)
21 Aug 2026Putupaula (major flood)
Biggest since 2022:12 Dec – 24 Dec 2023Kalawellawa (Millakanda), Putupaula +3 (major flood) · estimated

Every day since 2022, year by year

Official flood map

The Irrigation Department has mapped where past floods on the Kalu Ganga reached:

2017: 395 Grama Niladhari divisions in 18 divisional secretariat areas: Padukka, Agalawatta, Bulathsinhala, Dodangoda, Horana, Ingiriya, Kalutara, Madurawala, and 10 more

This shows where a past flood reached, not a flood now. A bigger flood can go further.

Flood maps: Irrigation Department of Sri Lanka

In the newsNews reports, not official.

RainSource: Newswire26 Oct, 7:30 pm (5 h ago)
Several rivers reach alert levels following heavy rainfall(opens the news site in a new tab)
The Irrigation Department has reported minor flood levels at three monitoring stations in the Kalu Ganga basin, while several other…
RiverSource: Newswire26 Oct, 11:58 am (13 h ago)
Minor flooding likely in Kalu Ganga Basin within next 24 hours(opens the news site in a new tab)
The Irrigation Department has issued a minor flood warning for low-lying areas of the Kalu Ganga Basin in the Ratnapura…

Flood help & emergency numbers

Common questions

Is Kalu Ganga flooding now?: As of Tue, 27 Oct, 12:10 am (Sri Lanka time), 4 of the 5 reporting gauges on the Kalu Ganga are at or above an official mark (Alert, Minor flood or Major flood): Ratnapura (28.3 ft), Magura (16.8 ft), Kalawellawa (Millakanda) (22.6 ft), Putupaula (9.9 ft).
Will the Kalu Ganga rise in the next hour?: In the next hour, of the 5 gauges on the Kalu Ganga with a forecast, 5 rising. This is a forecast from the recent trend, the gauges upstream and rain, not an official warning.
Which gauges are on the Kalu Ganga?: From upstream to downstream: Ratnapura, Ellagawa, Magura, Kalawellawa (Millakanda), Putupaula.
Where does this come from and how often does it update?: River readings come from the Department of Irrigation's gauges, roughly once an hour, and this page checks for new ones every minute. This site is independent and not an official warning service: follow the Disaster Management Centre and call 117 in an emergency.