Sri Lanka is reeling after Cyclone Ditwah tore north across the island on Friday, unleashing deadly floods and chaos.
At least 46 people have been killed and 23 are still missing — and the danger isn’t over yet.
Officials warn that the next 12 hours could bring even more flooding as torrential rain continues to pound the country.
So what caused most of the devastation? Landslides.
More than 300mm of rainfall drenched the eastern and central regions, triggering deadly collapses.
Nearly 44,000 people nationwide have been affected, with schools and public buildings turning into emergency shelters.
And it’s not just Sri Lanka. Across Southeast Asia, flooding linked to the same cyclone system has killed over 270 people in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Flooding linked to the same cyclone system has killed over 270 people in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
A rare tropical storm even formed in the Malacca Strait — a worrying sign of shifting weather patterns.
Regional Storm Chaos And Rising Toll
Back in Sri Lanka, the situation remains grim.
The Colombo Stock Exchange shut early, trains stopped running, and rescue teams scrambled into action.
Military helicopters airlifted stranded families, including 13 people trapped on a bridge and even one man clinging to the top of a coconut tree.
Meanwhile in Indonesia, Sumatra alone has recorded 84 deaths this week, with dozens more missing.
“The number of fatalities is 62, with 95 injured,” North Sumatra police spokesman Ferry Walintukan said, underscoring the scale of the disaster.
With storms intensifying across the region, one can’t help but wonder.
How many more wake-up calls will it take before climate resilience becomes a true priority?
