Crops · dekad 2026-08-11

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is 11th most stressed of 26 observations for this point in the season, and rose over this window, ranking 24th of 26 by fall steepness, from the 9th highest starting level of those 26. None of its 9 crop regions is at a record low on the measure that adds up the whole season, marked below, which is also the slowest of them to move.

One of Sri Lanka's 9 crop regions has never looked worse than it does today.

Three instruments, 9 regions, one day. Each region against its own 26 years, never against another region.

Vegetation, current

1 of 9 regions at their own record

Sri Lanka: 0.41 standard deviations above normal

Western. 25th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Sabaragamuwa. lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026North Western. 26th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Uva. 20th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Eastern. 10th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Central. 25th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026North Central. 26th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Northern. 13th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Southern. 7th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Water satisfaction

0 of 9 regions at their own record

Sri Lanka: 33% of crop water need met, normally 36%

Western. 2nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Sabaragamuwa. 7th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026North Western. 10th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Uva. 15th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Eastern. 12th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Central. 13th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026North Central. 6th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Northern. 8th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Southern. 7th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Rainfall, 3-month

1 of 9 regions at their own record

Sri Lanka: 1.08 standard deviations below normal

Western. 11th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Sabaragamuwa. 3rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026North Western. 7th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Uva. 14th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Eastern. 6th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Central. 13th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026North Central. 2nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Northern. lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026Southern. 3rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Colour
at this region's normalfar below
Outline
A heavy outline is that region's worst in 26 years. Different facts: a region can be dark without an outline, meaning far from normal but it has been worse, or outlined without being darkest, a record but a narrow one.
One scale, three instruments
Every panel saturates at 2.5 standard deviations below that region's own normal, so a colour means the same distance-from-normal on all three. It does not mean the same consequence: these measure different things and move at different speeds. The figures under each heading stay in the instrument's own units.

A fourth instrument is not shown here. Cumulative vegetation, the crop-outcome measure closest to yield, reads 19th of 26 for this country with no region at a record. It integrates from the start of the season, so it is structurally the last to move and reads calmest exactly when a fast deterioration is under way. It is left off the panels to keep three maps comparable in kind; it is on the page in full below.

Vegetation, cumulativethe harvest measure0of 9
Vegetation, current1of 9
Water satisfaction0of 9
Rainfall, 3-month1of 9
Temperature2of 9

What moved, and when

Each square is one dekad, and its shade shows how many of this country’s crop regions stood at their own worst on record for that point in the season. Rows are ordered by how much time each instrument summarises, shortest first, because a shorter window can move sooner. That order is fixed and is the same on every country page.

Vegetation, currentthis dekad
Soil moisturethis dekad
Temperaturethis dekad
Rainfall, 3-monththe past 3 months
Vegetation, cumulativethe season so far, from sowing
Water satisfactionthe season so far, as a water balance
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
none at a recordone regionfewer than a thirda third to three quartersmost or alltoo few regions reporting to saynot reported
What connects these rows

Nothing we can show. The driver is not identified here. This section says what moved and when. It never says because.

These 23 dekads were picked rather than derived. A shorter window changes which peak looks like the first, and a sequence visible inside a window may not exist outside it.

How bad is it, against this country’s own record

Five instruments read together our combination, not an observation

11th worst of 26 years at this point in the season

The 11th most stressed of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026, across 5 instruments read together

202620012026

What the instruments say

The canopy is in its best third, while water satisfaction is in mid-range and rainfall is in their worst third.

Each track is that instrument’s own 26 years, worst on the left.

Vegetation, cumulative+0.5719th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current+0.3923rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction33%11th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.805th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature29.0 °C4th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Five instruments, each against its own 26 years for this point in the season. They are shown together because they can disagree: a region can sit at a record low on vegetation while water or rainfall sits in its best third. 38 of the 196 regions at a record low on current vegetation have water or rainfall sitting in its own best third at the same moment, about one in five. This page reports where each one sits and does not say what caused what.

Every region of Sri Lanka, worst to least

Each bar is the full spread of that region’s previous 25 years at this point in the season. The dot is this year. A dot at the left of a wide bar and a dot at the left of a narrow bar are different findings, which is why the history is drawn rather than described.

its normalworsebetterWesternSabaragamuwaNorth WesternUvaEasternSouthernCentralNorthernNorth Central

Regions in colour are at their worst on record. The rest are placed on the same scale so a single deep region inside an otherwise ordinary country reads differently from a country where the whole distribution has moved.

Western

-0.55 3rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-0.553rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current+0.7925th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction87%2nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.2011th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature26.2 °C15th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Sabaragamuwa

-0.23 10th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative-0.2310th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-2.02lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction52%7th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-1.173rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature26.6 °C9th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

North Western

+0.11 12th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative+0.1112th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current+0.8226th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction56%10th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.637th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature27.5 °C2nd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Uva

+0.18 13th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

Vegetation here usually tracks water availability.

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative+0.1813th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current+0.3320th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction55%15th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.1414th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature29.1 °C3rd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Eastern

+0.45 18th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative+0.4518th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.2210th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction29%12th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.586th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature29.4 °C10th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Southern

+0.77 25th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative+0.7725th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current-0.287th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction46%7th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.883rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature27.6 °C12th highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Central

+0.83 22nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative+0.8322nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current+0.7125th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction57%13th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month+0.1013th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature29.1 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

Northern

+0.85 24th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative+0.8524th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current+0.0313th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction12%8th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-0.76lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature29.8 °Chighest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

North Central

+0.88 23rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

20012026
Vegetation, cumulative+0.8823rd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Vegetation, current+1.3326th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Water satisfaction22%6th lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Rainfall, 3-month-1.662nd lowest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026
Soil moisturenot reportedSoil moisture has not reported for this dekad. Its newest observation is 1 dekad behind the crop-outcome instrument.
Temperature29.2 °C2nd highest of 26 observations for this point in the season, 2001-2026

same dekad, 2001-2025

This measurement is of the crop canopy and not of what stressed it: heat, drought, disease and late planting are not separable here, which is why no claim on this page names a cause.

Kristjan Lepik (2026). The Long Swell, Crops. thelongswell.com