Cyclone Ditwah

Cyclone Ditwah, the worst cyclone to hit Sri Lanka in a century, caused widespread devastation in late 2025. The event is newsworthy due to the scale of destruction, with over 600 fatalities reported in Sri Lanka alone and significant damage across Asia. Hundreds of thousands of homes were destroyed, and vital infrastructure, including tea plantations, rice fields, and rail lines, suffered extensive damage. The disaster has triggered landslide warnings and complicated recovery efforts due to ongoing heavy rainfall. Sri Lanka's President has described the rescue and recovery as the most challenging in the nation's history. The economic impact is estimated to be in the billions of dollars, exacerbating the country's existing financial struggles. Top economists, including Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, are calling for a suspension of Sri Lanka's debt payments to aid recovery. The event highlights the increasing intensity of monsoon floods due to the climate crisis and the vulnerability of Sri Lanka to extreme weather events.