Kithulgala Kelani Ganga water level

Could reach alert level around 8 am this morning (in about 4 hours) (about 30% chance).

Published as 2.35 m (alert 3.0 m, minor flood 4.0 m, major flood 6.0 m)

Elevated river-flow outlook this week.

• Alert (9.8 ft): possible, about 3 in 10, from about 8:08 am
• Minor flood (13.1 ft): unlikely, about 1 in 10
• Major flood (19.7 ft): unlikely, about 1 in 10

Rain that fell

0.0 mm in the last 3 hours, 62 mm in the last 24 hours at this gauge (heavy rain)

Rain forecast

15 mm in the next 24 hours over the catchment (moderate rain). Forecast model estimate.

Satellite estimate of rain over the catchment: 5.9 mm in the last 6 hours, 48.3 mm in the last 24 hours (to 3:30 am). It can differ from the gauges. GSMaP data by Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)

• · Outlook: the GloFAS global flood model has river flow at 751 m3/s in its highest member within 7 days, above the 1-in-20 level (338 m3/s). This is a heads-up only; it does not change the levels above.
• · Part of the range is above the highest level this model has seen (9.0 ft); treat it as a rough guide.

• How this is worked out
• · Latest level at Kithulgala and recent change, plus upstream gauges: Norwood.
• · Forecast model estimate of catchment rain (Open-Meteo, area average over 3 grid cells above Kithulgala): 62 mm modelled for the last 24 hours, 15 mm forecast for the next 24 hours, with ECMWF ensemble spread.
• · The 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 hour steps use this gauge's own recent changes and the other gauges on the river (fitted to about 11 months of hourly readings, including the November 2025 Ditwah floods); where this was tested against 'level stays the same' it missed by less.
• · Heavy rain upstream is part of the 6, 12, 24 hour steps: rain that has fallen or is forecast over the catchment above Kithulgala raises the level, and the top of the range allows for the heavier forecast rain. Tested storm by storm (leaving each storm out, Ditwah included) it was closer than the river's own trend alone.