Sri Lanka Cyclone Ditwah 2025

About this project

A low-pressure system that developed over the southwest Bay of Bengal near Sri Lanka on 25 November 2025 rapidly intensified into a deep depression by 26 November 2025, bringing heavy rains and strong winds across the island. The Department of Meteorology, along with the Disaster Management Centre (DMC), issued early warnings as the system began to track north-northwestwards, positioning itself approximately 100 kilometres south of Sri Lanka’s eastern coastline. Cyclone Ditwah further intensified into a devastating tropical storm system, unleashing unprecedented rainfall and severe weather impacts across Sri Lanka. According to the Disaster Management Centre’s situation report issued on 29 November 2025, at 2:00 PM, the cyclone has affected 25 districts nationwide, impacting 316,366 families and 1,151,776 individuals, with 366 confirmed deaths and 367 people reported missing. Evacuation efforts have relocated 61,612 families – amounting to 218,526 people – into 1,564 safety centres, while widespread infrastructure damage has been recorded, including more than 15,000 houses destroyed and 827 partially damaged, with figures expected to rise as assessment teams reach remote areas. Torrential rainfall exceeding 200 millimetres within 24 hours, and in some districts surpassing 540 millimetres, triggered catastrophic flash flooding in low-lying regions and along major river basins. The Department of Meteorology issued a ‘RED ALERT’ on 27 November, the highest warning level, coveri…

Published by

British Red Cross · International NGO

Countries

Sri Lanka

Sectors

VIII.3. Disaster Preparedness

Funded by

FCDO

Accountable

British Red Cross

Published by British Red Cross to the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI), last updated 19 Mar 2026 and imported automatically. IATI identifier: GB-CHC-220949-P9604.

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