Global Warming and Atmospheric Brown Cloud Effects on Local Climate and Rice Production
By S. Herath, D. Swain and A. Pathirana
- Rainfall during the inter-monsoon period (February to April) in Sri Lanka has consistently decreased since the early 1970s.
- A study by Herath and Ratnayake (2003) analyzed rainfall patterns from May to September (South-West Monsoon), December to February (North East Monsoon), March to April (First Inter-Monsoon), and October to November (Second Inter-Monsoon) using data from 62 rain gauges in the central region from 1963 to 1993.
- The analysis revealed a decreasing trend in rainfall for the first inter-monsoon season (March to April) across all gauges.
- Anecdotal evidence from farmers and residents in the region supports these changes in weather patterns over the past 30 years.
- The decrease in rainfall has been attributed to a possible link with the Atmospheric Brown Cloud, which forms over the region due to high concentrations of aerosols in the atmosphere.
