Two back-to-back cyclones—Senyar and Ditwah—have unleashed catastrophic flooding across the Indian Ocean region, leaving more than 1,000 people dead and displacing tens of thousands across Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Parts of India’s southern coast also recorded casualties as the storms dumped heavy rain before moving away.
Cyclone Senyar, which formed unusually over the Strait of Malacca, intensified torrential rains across Indonesia’s Sumatra island, triggering massive floods and landslides. The death toll climbed to 502, with 508 people reported missing, according to Indonesia’s national disaster agency.
By Sunday, the death toll had surged to 334, with 370 people still missing as floodwaters swallowed homes, roads and entire settlements. (Photo: Social Media)
Officials described the flooding as “the worst in our lifetime,” with entire neighbourhoods submerged up to rooftops. Indonesia’s disaster mitigation chief Suharyanto said rescue operations were slowed by “cut-off roads and downed communication networks,” as reported by The Jakarta Post.
Authorities deployed helicopters and navy vessels to reach isolated communities. The government also conducted aerial cloud-seeding operations to suppress further rain.
The Hong Kong Observatory noted that Senyar was the first tropical cyclone to form in the Strait of Malacca since 2001, a phenomenon made possible by exceptionally warm waters and rare atmospheric conditions that overcame the usually weak Coriolis effect near the equator.
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Infrastructure damage is widespread, with energy company Petron Malaysia Refining & Marketing Bhd temporarily halting operations at a refinery after storm-induced damage.
Thailand Counts Heavy Losses
Neighbouring Thailand recorded at least 176 deaths, with more than 20 lakh households affected. Flooded hotels, restaurants and vast agricultural losses—including rubber and palm oil—have pushed estimated economic losses to 23.6 billion baht (₹6,560 crore), according to Krungsri Research.
In the wake of the devastation caused by Cyclone Ditwah across Sri Lanka, India swiftly launched Operation Sagar Bandhu to bolster relief efforts. (Photo: IAF/X)
Aerial images from Songkhla province showed miles of vehicles abandoned on high roads as residents fled rising waters.
Cyclone Ditwah Slams Sri Lanka and Brushes India’s Coast
Even as Senyar dissipated over the South China Sea, fresh danger emerged from Cyclone Ditwah, which made landfall in Sri Lanka on Friday. The island nation’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared the storm the country’s “largest and most challenging natural disaster.”
By Sunday, the death toll had surged to 334, with 370 people still missing as floodwaters swallowed homes, roads and entire settlements.
Though Ditwah stopped short of hitting India’s coastline directly, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and south Andhra Pradesh experienced heavy rainfall. Tamil Nadu’s disaster management minister KKSSR Ramachandran confirmed three storm-related deaths in the state.
Fishing activity remained suspended along the Tamil Nadu coast as authorities issued red alerts during the peak of the storm.
A Third Storm Approaches Vietnam
Meanwhile, Typhoon Koto continues swirling off the coast of Vietnam. While it is expected to weaken, forecasters warn it may produce additional rain across regions already devastated by weeks of storms causing more than $3 billion in damage.
Weather models indicate rainfall will return to seasonal norms by midweek, with drier patterns expected across Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra by mid-December.
