Officials say the death toll from heavy rains and lightning has risen to 12 in Sri Lanka, as hundreds of military troops and police officers were deployed to rescue and assist people marooned by floods.

The Disaster Management Centre said on Thursday a total of 124,733 persons belonging to 31,822 families have been affected by the prevailing adverse weather conditions.

44,745 persons belonging to 11,723 families are currently sheltered in temporary camps, they said.

At least 35 houses have been completely destroyed while 2,199 houses have been partially damaged. 751 further cases of property damage have also been reported so far.