Asia Storms Kill More Than 900 as Sri Lanka, Indonesia Reel

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Extreme weekend weather across Asia has killed more than 900 people and displaced millions, with Sri Lanka and parts of Southeast Asia facing some of their worst flooding in years, according to officials.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk announced that Starlink would be available in affected regions of Sumatra, Indonesia – where flooding has forced hundreds of thousands from their homes – until the end of December.

Why It Matters

The combined toll from Cyclone Ditwah in Sri Lanka and a rare tropical storm system over the Malacca Strait has passed 800 deaths, with many more people still missing.

Nearly one million people in Sri Lanka and more than four million across Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia have been affected, overwhelming rescue services and testing disaster-preparedness in coastal areas.

This part of the world gets a lot of precipitation annually, but climate scientists say back-to-back tropical systems are being intensified by a combination of persistent La Niña conditions and a warmer atmosphere, which holds more moisture and can lead to much heavier rainfall.

What To Know

Sri Lanka’s Disaster Management Centre says at least 334 people have been killed are missing after Cyclone Ditwah triggered record rains, landslides and flash floods.

Nearly a million people have been impacted, with 200,000 forced into 1,275 shelters in schools and public buildings.

Floodwaters breached the dam at the Mavil Aru Reservoir in the island’s east, forcing 2,000 people to higher ground and airlifts of over 120 residents by the air force.

The capital Colombo and its suburbs are among the hardest-hit areas, with entire neighborhoods under water and thousands still in temporary shelters as power, water and communications are gradually restored.

A youth carries an elderly man as they wade through a flooded street after heavy rainfall on the outskirts of Colombo on November 30, 2025. (Photo by Ishara S. KODIKARA / AFP)

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Meanwhile in Southeast Asia, a separate tropical storm that formed unusually in the Malacca Strait dumped torrential rain on Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia last week, causing widespread floods and landslides.

Reuters reports at least 435 deaths in Indonesia, 170 in southern Thailand and three in Malaysia, pushing the regional total to more than 600 deaths in Southeast Asia alone.

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Overall, more than four million people have been affected — nearly three million in southern Thailand and 1.1 million in western Indonesia. Sumatra is worst hit, with roads and comms cut, over 400 people still missing and more than 200,000 displaced, according to disaster agency data.

In Thailand, Songkhla province has recorded the bulk of fatalities; the city of Hat Yai saw 335 mm (13 inches) of rain in a day, its heaviest daily rainfall in 300 years.

What People Are Saying

Elon Musk, CEO of Starlink on X: "SpaceX standard policy is to make Starlink free whenever there is a natural disaster somewhere in the world. It would not be right to profit from misfortune."

Starlink on X: "For those affected by the severe flooding in Indonesia, Starlink is providing free service to new and existing customers through the end of December. We’re also working with the Indonesian government to rapidly deploy terminals and restore connectivity to the hardest-hit areas on Sumatra."

Commissioner Joko Krisdiyanto, after police installed Starlink in Aceh Province: "Thank God, the people can now contact their families after four days without signal."

Idris, 55, a resident of Sungai Nyalo, West Sumatra to AFP: "Most villagers chose to stay; they didn't want to leave their houses behind."

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What Happens Next?

Sri Lanka’s irrigation department expects floodwaters to recede over the next three days as Cyclone Ditwah tracks toward southern India, allowing power and communications to be gradually restored. Startlink will provide free service to affected communities in Sumatra until the end of the month.

With hundreds still unaccounted for, across the region officials warn the death toll is likely to rise as rescuers gain access to isolated villages and clear debris.

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