Yellow alert issued for central and southern Maldives

The Maldives Meteorology Service issued a yellow alert Saturday afternoon, advising sea travellers to exercise caution amid rough seas and storm winds.

Torrential rain and average strong winds of 30 to 40 miles per hour with gust winds of 50mph were expected from 3:40 pm to 6:40 pm, the Met said.

The bad weather will affect the area from the central Malé atoll to the southernmost Addu atoll.

Three accidents at sea were reported earlier in the day with a white alert in effect.

A speedboat capsized in the airport island lagoon around 9 am. No one was injured, according to the coastguard.

After its ropes snapped, a dhoni docked at the Kuda Bandos Resort was unmoored and drifted to Hulhumalé. The military’s coastguard also assisted a fishing boat in Meemu atoll after its steering wheel was damaged.

In a fourth incident reported Saturday afternoon, a tugboat and barge ran aground on the reef of Kudafari island in the northern Noonu atoll. The eight Maldivians and one expatriate onboard escaped unharmed.