<p>Schools in the Northern Province were closed on Friday due to adverse weather conditions caused by the cyclonic storm ‘Gaja’.</p>
<p>Although Sri Lanka’s meteorology department predicted that the storm would move away from the island this evening, the North-East, particularly the Jaffna peninsula, has been hit by severe rains and windy conditions.</p>
<p>Fisherman were advised not to venture into the sea, from Trincomalee in the East, to Kankesanthurai in the North, and Mannar in the North-West.</p>
<p>The storm is reported to have caused over twenty deaths in coastal Tamil Nadu.</p>
A former Sri Lankan military officer has been arrested after he reportedly raped a…