More heavy rain slows Sri Lanka’s recovery after deadly cyclone

President Dissanayake has called ongoing rescue and recovery efforts the most difficult in the nation’s history.Published On 5 Dec 2025Intense rainfall in Sri Lanka has complicated recovery efforts in the wake of a powerful cyclone last week that killed hundreds and left tens of thousands displaced, according to officials.More than 130mm (5.1 inches) of rain poured down in southern Sri Lanka over 15 hours on Thursday, said local authorities, with more heavy downpours expected across southern and southwestern areas on Friday.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Sri Lanka airlifts aid to communities devastated by huge floodslist 2 of 3At least 1,250 people dead: What caused the devastating Asia floods?list 3 of 3Indonesia’s flood victims pick up pieces as homes, livelihoods swept awayend of listThe continuing deluge has made cleanup and reconstruction operations difficult after Cyclone Ditwah – triggering the worst floods in a decade – left the island on Sunday.The cyclone killed at least 486 people, damaged more than 50,000 homes and pushed 170,000 people into relief centres, according to the country’s Disaster Management Centre (DMC) and local officials. There are 341 people still missing.President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has called the natural disaster the most challenging the island has ever faced. “We also recognise that what we are undertaking is the most difficult rescue operation in our nation’s history,” he said in an address to the nation.The disaster is part of a larger spate of catastrophic regional floods and landslides last week that also hit Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia, killing a combined 1,500 people. As in Sri Lanka, numerous villages in Indonesia remain buried under mud and debris.‘What are we going to do?’In Sri Lanka, residents evacuated from the landslide-prone central hills have been told not to return immediately to their homes, even if they were unaffected by the deluge, as the mountainsides remained unstable.