Southeast Asia is suffering the impact of two powerful storms: Cyclone Senyar and Cyclone Ditwah. It has wrought tremendous destruction across numerous countries. It began as a rare meteorological event that has quickly escalated into a humanitarian crisis. It has got entire neighbourhoods submerged, thousands displaced, and grim death tolls rising with every hour. Its impact has ranged from Indonesia’s flooded villages to Sri Lankan landslide zones. The aftermath is heartbreak and chaos.
Also Read | Ditwah aftermath: 56 dead, 21 missing in continuous rain and landslides in Srilanka
Storms from unlikely corners: Why Senyar stunned meteorologists?
According to a report by the Hindustan Times, cyclone Senyar was no ordinary storm. It is formed in the Strait of Malacca, which is a region where cyclones of this strength rarely take shape. Its inception shook long-held assumptions. It was the first time that a tropical storm had emerged with such intensity over these waters. The storm was fueled by unusually warm, storm-prone waters. Senyar’s torrential rains thumped Sumatra, therefore triggering deadly floods and landslides. In Indonesia alone, the storm resulted in at least 502 confirmed deaths, with over 500 people reported missing, and urged entire communities to shift to their rooftops.
The nations like Thailand to Malaysia that felt the storm’s shockwaves. Southern Thailand recorded nearly 176 deaths, businesses and crops were destroyed, and economic losses went into the billions in baht.
Ditwah’s wrath on Sri Lanka and beyond
Senyar had no sooner dissipated than Cyclone Ditwah formed over the Bay of Bengal and moved toward Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka bore the aftermath with heavy rains, flash floods, and fatal landslides that have so far taken at least 334 lives, with 370 more reported missing. The communities have crumbled, with around 20,000 homes destroyed and over 100,000 people displaced into government shelters.
Also Read | Sri Lanka floods: 123 dead, 130 missing after cyclone Ditwah’s triggers massive rains
The coastal areas of southern India, especially Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states, have also felt Ditwah’s peripheral effects as rain and winds disrupted lives and added to the region’s fragile state. In many areas, the rescue efforts have been severely hindered by obliterated roads and downed communication networks. In Indonesia, supplies are being provided by navy ships and helicopters, which is causing a harrowing logistics challenge in the middle of widespread infrastructure collapse.
