More heavy rainfall is expected in Sri Lanka in the coming days, which is likely to result in more damage across the country. This comes after torrential rains caused devastating floods and landslides in Southeast Asia, affecting millions of people, killing more than 300 in Indonesia and 160 in Thailand, while hundreds are still missing.
A total of 800 mm of rainfall fell over four days in parts of North Sumatra, Indonesia, with heavy rainfall also falling in other areas.
The extreme weather is linked to a rare group of tropical cyclones affecting areas of southern Asia.
Cyclone Senyar, part of the cluster, hit Indonesia and Thailand. Cyclone Ditvaha, part of the same cluster that has caused heavy rains and floods in Sri Lanka, saw the death toll near 200 on Sunday, with hundreds missing.
Extreme weather has caused more than 1,300 deaths across much of South and Southeast Asia, with the number likely to rise in the coming days. Millions of people have been affected by devastating floods and landslides.
Elsewhere in Asia, Iran is battling its worst drought since it began nearly 60 years ago. Following drought conditions for the sixth consecutive year, authorities were forced to shut down power generation at the Karkheh Dam hydroelectric power station on Saturday due to critically low water levels. Drought conditions have also prompted the government to reduce water pressure, which has been particularly challenging for residents of the capital, Tehran.
Meanwhile, winter has returned with a vengeance across much of the US, with more snowfall and low temperatures forecast. Parts of Michigan could see up to 1 foot of snow this weekend, as widespread snow blankets many parts of the northeast of the country over the next few days. Temperatures will be 10C (18F) below normal across much of the Midwest and eastern regions this week.
Severe disruptions to Thanksgiving travel in parts of the Great Lakes region have been caused by “lake effect” snow, where cold air from Canada flows over the comparatively warmer Great Lakes, resulting in moisture moving upward through the atmosphere and producing bands of clouds that cause heavy snowfall. Its impact is most pronounced in states such as Ohio, New York, Illinois, and Michigan.
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