‘Not normal’: Climate crisis supercharged deadly monsoon floods in Asia

Scientists report that the recent deadly monsoon floods in Asia, which killed over 1,750 people in late November, were intensified by the climate crisis. The World Weather Attribution study found that human-caused global heating increased the intensity of heavy rainfall by 28-160% in areas affected by Cyclone Senyar (Sumatra, Malaysia) and 9-50% in Sri Lanka (Cyclone Ditwah). The increased rainfall led to unprecedented flooding, reaching dangerous levels and causing widespread loss of life, displacement, and economic disruption. Researchers emphasize that while monsoon rains are normal in the region, the growing intensity of these storms is not, and cyclones have become an alarming new reality for South and Southeast Asia. The destruction of forests also worsened the flooding in some areas.

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