Parts of Southeast Asia are facing devastating floods, with Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia all reporting widespread damage, rising death tolls, and thousands of people forced to flee their homes as heavy rain continues to lash the region.
Thailand has been hit the hardest. At least 33 people have died, and more than 2 million residents across 10 southern provinces have been affected.
In Hat Yai, a major commercial centre near the Malaysian border, a record 335mm of rain fell in a single day — the heaviest in 300 years.
Photos show streets full of water, submerged vehicles, and people stranded on rooftops waiting for rescue.
Vietnam has seen 98 deaths in just a week, as constant rain triggers landslides and rivers to burst their banks.
In Malaysia, over 19,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, with 126 emergency shelters set up in flood-hit northern states such as Kelantan and Perlis.
In Indonesia, at least 19 people have died, and seven remain trapped under landslides in North Sumatra, according to the national search and rescue agency.
Although monsoon rains are normal this time of year, experts say the 2025 floods are unusually severe, overwhelming infrastructure and emergency services across the region.
Scientists have long warned that extreme rainfall events like these are becoming more frequent and intense due to climate change.
As global temperatures rise, the atmosphere can hold more moisture, around 7% more for every 1°C of warming, making sudden, record-breaking downpours more likely.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says that South and Southeast Asia are particularly at risk because warmer oceans strengthen monsoons, increase evaporation, and create slow-moving, moisture-heavy storms that dump huge amounts of rain in short periods.
Urbanisation and deforestation make things worse, leaving communities more vulnerable when rivers overflow and drainage systems fail.
Thailand’s 300-year rainfall record shows just how serious the problem is: what used to be a “once-in-a-century” event is becoming part of the new normal, driven by climate change and a lack of adequate adaptation measures.
More: National Herald
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