Severe storms kill nearly 1,000 in Southeast Asia, Sri Lanka

(Dec 1): Three tropical cyclones, coinciding with the northeast monsoon that typically brings heavy downpours to Southeast Asia this time of year, have caused widespread destruction in the region. Peninsular Malaysia and southern Thailand have also received significantly above-normal rains in the past week, according to data from the US Climate Prediction Center. In Indonesia’s Sumatra island, a week of torrential rains intensified by a rare cyclone has left at least 442 people dead and another 402 missing, and officials warned casualty numbers will likely climb as rescue teams deploy boats and helicopters to reach affected areas. Storm Senyar, which circled the Strait of Malacca last week, has now dissipated over the South China Sea, according to the Hong Kong Observatory. Cut-off roads and downed communication networks are complicating rescue and relief efforts, Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency head, Suharyanto, said in a briefing on Sunday, the Jakarta Post ...