Imasha Costa: Unseasonably dry Sri Lanka shrivels during 'rainy season'

Amid the hot and unseasonably dry weather during an eye-opening visit to her family in Sri Lanka, one thought kept crossing Imasha Costa's mind: “I miss the rain in Cork.” 

Smog and fog envelop the skyline in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on December 9, 2022. Schools across Sri Lanka were closed as health and environment officials said air quality was unhealthy in most parts of the island nation partly due to extreme weather conditions. Picture: Eranga Jayawardena/AP

It had been five years since I went back to Sri Lanka, my mother’s homeland and a place of solace for me. 

I had planned to travel around the country, to remind myself what it looked like, and to see my mother and extended family after two long years. And for two weeks I did all those things, but I had not expected scorching heat, heavy humidity, and no rain.