Colombo National Hospital spokeswoman Pushpa Soysa said one woman died after being swept away in the flood waters while another was struck by lightning as she stepped off a bus.

The meteorology department said Colombo received over 12 centimetres (nearly five inches) of rain during the 24 hours to Thursday morning.

Heavy rains did not deter cricket fans who lined up along the road leading from the international airport to Colombo, a distance of 35 kilometres (21 miles), to greet the team who emerged runners-up in the eight-week long World Cup tournament.

Official ceremonies were however disrupted, with organisers having to shift the welcoming party indoors to Sri Lanka Cricket offices from the open air Independence Square.

Motorists were struck in lengthy traffic jams, while most of Colombo's roads were underwater, partly due to the lack of maintenance to the city's drainage systems.

Colombo's sewer and storm water systems were constructed between 1906 and 1913 and designed to serve a population of around 400,000.