deadly storms
30 Nov 2025, 13.54 pm. Deadly storms have torn through South and South-East Asia, killing more than 1,600 people. From Sri Lanka’s central highlands to Indonesia’s swollen river basins, climate-driven cyclones and intense monsoon rain have brought some of the worst weather seen in years. Hundreds of thousands have been forced from their homes, and millions more have been affected.
Since mid-November, back-to-back tropical storms and a stronger monsoon pattern have triggered severe flooding and landslides across Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Viet Nam.
UN teams across the region are supporting government-led emergency operations with food, health aid, water and sanitation supplies, medical teams, and early recovery checks. Heavy rain is still falling in many areas, raising fears that conditions could worsen.
“We continue to closely monitor the situation and remain in close contact with national authorities,” UN spokesperson Aidan Moreau told reporters in New York on Thursday.
Overlapping storms drive extreme rainfall
Experts say the disasters were driven by an unusual overlap of major weather systems, including Cyclones Nirava and Samir, alongside a strengthened north-east monsoon.
Warmer sea temperatures and shifting storm tracks have helped produce extreme rainfall in places that usually face a lower cyclone risk.
Across the region, close to 11 million people have been affected. Around 1.2 million have been pushed into shelters. Roads, power lines, and farmland have been swept away by floodwaters.
Heavy toll on children
Children are bearing a large share of the damage. Millions have lost access to school, safe drinking water, and basic services. More than 4.1 million children across the region have had their education disrupted since late November, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Around 3 million students in Viet Nam have been unable to attend classes. Almost 1 million have been affected in the Philippines. Hundreds of thousands more have been impacted in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia.
Many children are now in crowded evacuation centres, where the risks of illness, hunger, and protection concerns rise.
“Children are sitting at the frontline of the climate crisis, experiencing firsthand what it means when extreme weather becomes more frequent, more intense, and less predictable,” UNICEF deputy spokesperson Maya Rensburg said, calling for urgent steps to protect children and their futures.
Sri Lanka sees widespread damage
Sri Lanka faced some of the harshest impacts after Cyclone Nirava made landfall on 28 November. Flooding and landslides spread across almost the entire island.
The highest number of deaths was reported in the hill districts of Kandy, Nuwara Eliya and Badulla, where landslides tore through plantation communities. Major flooding also hit western and north-western districts, including Colombo’s outer suburbs, disrupting markets, transport links, and water supplies.
Early assessments also point to higher gender-related risks after the disaster.
With incomes disrupted and thousands living in crowded shelters, women and girls face greater exposure to gender-based violence, financial insecurity, and gaps in sexual and reproductive health care. These risks are sharper in rural and plantation areas already dealing with poverty and limited access to services.
Indonesia hit by flash floods and landslides
In Indonesia, relentless rain between 22 and 25 November triggered deadly floods and landslides across Aceh, West Sumatra and North Sumatra, damaging dozens of districts.
Official figures report more than 830 deaths, at least 500 people still missing, and over 880,000 displaced. In total, more than 3 million people have been affected by floodwater, collapsing hillsides, and damaged infrastructure.
Whole villages have gone under water. Bridges have been washed out, and roads have been cut, leaving some communities isolated and slowing rescue efforts. Emergency teams have relied on helicopters and boats to reach areas that cannot be accessed by road.
“We are working closely with the government on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), logistics, and coordination with local partners,” Moreau said.
Thailand and Malaysia face mass evacuations
Further east, heavier monsoon rain has battered southern Thailand, where 12 provinces have been affected.
At least 185 people have died, 367 are missing, and over 4 million people have been impacted. More than 219,000 residents have been displaced as rivers overflowed and low-lying coastal areas flooded.
In neighbouring Malaysia, flooding across 8 northern and central states has displaced about 37,000 people. Authorities continue to issue evacuation orders and weather warnings as rain persists.
Viet Nam endures a punishing typhoon season
Viet Nam is dealing with the combined effects of one of its toughest typhoon seasons in years. Since October, a string of storms has flooded and damaged large parts of the country, mainly in northern and central provinces.
Heavy rain since mid-November, made worse by Tropical Cyclone Kavon, has triggered fresh landslides and prolonged displacement. A national joint response plan is under way to tackle food shortages, health threats, and damaged infrastructure.
To support the effort, $2.6 million has been released from the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).
Disasters intensified by climate change
UN agencies say the storms reflect a wider shift towards harsher and less predictable weather across the Asia-Pacific. Cyclone Nirava tracked unusually far south along Sri Lanka’s coast, while Cyclone Samir formed near the equator in the Strait of Malacca, which is rare.
The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in a report issued last week, warned that rising temperatures are reshaping risk across the region.
Warmer seas can increase the chance of extreme rainfall. Rapid urban growth, deforestation, and the loss of wetlands are also making floods more destructive. Even where early warnings were issued, fast-rising water cut off escape routes in some places.
