Not normal': Climate crisis supercharged deadly monsoon floods in Asia

"The climate crisis supercharged the deadly storms that killed more than 1,750 people in Asia by making downpours more intense and flooding worse, scientists have reported. Monsoon rains often bring some flooding but the scientists were clear: this was not normal. In Sri Lanka, some floods reached the second floor of buildings, while in Sumatra, in Indonesia, the floods were worsened by the destruction of forests, which in the past slowed rainwater running off hillsides."

"Millions of people were affected when Cyclone Ditwah struck Sri Lanka and Cyclone Senyar hit Sumatra and peninsular Malaysia in late November, and the events became some of the deadliest weather-related disasters in recent history. The analysis by World Weather Attribution, a consortium of climate scientists, found the intensity of five-day episodes of heavy rain had increased by 28-160% in the region affected by Cyclone Senyar owing to human-caused global heating."

"While at least 1,750 people died in the floods and hundreds more remain missing, cyclones also have a wide and enduring impact on health. Recent studies have found deaths from, for example, diabetes and kidney disease increase after such storms. Many people have also lost their homes and their livelihoods, with the poorest affected most."

The climate crisis supercharged deadly storms across Asia, making downpours more intense and flooding worse and killing more than 1,750 people. Monsoon rains reached unprecedented intensity in affected areas, with some floods in Sri Lanka rising to the second floor of buildings and deforestation in Sumatra amplifying runoff from hillsides. Millions were affected when Cyclone Ditwah struck Sri Lanka and Cyclone Senyar hit Sumatra and peninsular Malaysia. Five-day heavy-rain episodes increased by roughly 28–160% in the Senyar region and by 9–50% in Sri Lanka. Cyclones increase deaths from chronic diseases and cause large-scale loss of homes and livelihoods, disproportionately harming the poorest.

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