India, Sept. 9 -- Over 115,000 people in Sri Lanka are facing drinking water shortages as an emerging El Nino condition, coupled with high temperatures and scant rainfall, intensified dry weather across parts of the island, officials said on Tuesday.

Meteorology Department Director General Ajith Wijemanna said an El Nino condition was developing and could be contributing to the prevailing weather pattern. El Nino, a periodic warming of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, can alter temperature patterns across the region. Its development is being closely monitored for its possible impact on Sri Lanka as the dry spell continues.

The island nation, surrounded by the Indian Ocean, is likely to feel the effect more intensely, expe...