Catastrophic Floods and Cyclones Devastate South and Southeast Asia

Monsoons intensified by rare cyclones have unleashed catastrophic flooding and landslides across South and Southeast Asia, leaving thousands dead and millions displaced. Indonesia’s Sumatra island has been worst hit, with the death toll soaring to 442 after Cyclone Senyar triggered landslides and submerged thousands of homes. Rescue operations remain hampered as roads are cut off and power and internet only partially restored, while survivors recount being swept away by fast-moving currents. In Thailand, at least 170 people have died, including 145 in Songkhla province where waters rose three meters. Hat Yai city recorded 335mm of rainfall in a single day, the heaviest in three centuries, overwhelming morgues and forcing bodies into refrigerated trucks. More than 3.8 million people have been affected across ten provinces. Malaysia’s northern Perlis state has reported two deaths, with tens of thousands forced into shelters. Meanwhile, Sri Lanka faces its own crisis after Cyclone Ditwah killed 193 people, left 200 missing, and destroyed 15,000 homes, prompting a state of emergency. Meteorologists warn that the interaction of Cyclone Senyar and Typhoon Koto has intensified the monsoon, underscoring how climate change is making storms more frequent and severe across the region.