The United Nations has warned that tropical cyclones occurring close to the Equator are rare, and when they do strike, their impacts are magnified due to limited local experience in coping with severe storms.
WMO spokesperson Clare Nullis said: “Tropical cyclones are rare so close to the Equator… it means the impacts are magnified because local communities have got no experience in this.” She highlighted that record-breaking rainfall is increasing the risk of catastrophic flooding.
“One meteorological station in central Vietnam recorded a national 24-hour rainfall record of 1,739 millimetres,” Nullis said. “That is the second-highest known total anywhere in the world for 24-hour rainfall.” She added that rising temperatures increase the potential for extreme rainfall because a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture.
Cyclone Ditwah, which made landfall on the east coast of Sri Lanka, affected over 1.4 million people, including more than 275,000 children. UNICEF spokesperson Ricardo Pires warned that with roads blocked and communications down, the true number of children impacted is likely higher. “Homes have been swept away, entire communities isolated, and essential services children rely on, such as water, healthcare, and schooling, have been severely disrupted,” he said.
Recent torrential rains and strong winds have struck Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam, causing landslides, flooding, and significant disruption to relief efforts. These events underline the growing threat of extreme weather in a warming world.
Nullis emphasised that no single institution or country can address these challenges alone, calling for strengthened regional cooperation and universal early warning systems. The WMO continues to coordinate with national authorities to provide climate guidance and support to humanitarian responders, while urging communities to prepare for increasingly frequent and severe weather events.
Kazakhstan and Germany have agreed to expand cooperation in critical minerals, industry, energy and transport, with Astana seeking a greater German...
Global cholera deaths reached their highest annual level in more than 20 years in 2025, despite a decline in reported cases, according to the World...
Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom has proposed building a new 1,000-megawatt nuclear power unit in Armenia as Yerevan weighs competing inte...
A Russian guided aerial bomb has struck an apartment building in Kharkiv, injuring 22 people, including children, according to the city’s mayor. The strike follows a day of near-continuous Russian attacks across Ukraine that killed at least five people.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 28 September 2026. These are the top stories making headlines in technology.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan has arrived in Washington for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on bilateral ties and key regional and international developments, Saudi state news agency SPA reported.
The European Union's decision to simultaneously advance accession talks with Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro and Albania marks its most ambitious enlargement effort in more than two decades.
U.S. President Donald Trump has denied reports that he offered Iran sanctions relief and access to frozen funds in exchange for nuclear concessions.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has declared that Brexit has done more harm than good, while reaffirming support for Ukraine and NATO as he used his first Labour conference speech as leader to set out a new direction for Britain.
The arrival in South Korea of two North Korean soldiers captured while fighting for Russia has created a rare legal, diplomatic and humanitarian case, raising questions over their status, security and future.
At midnight on 30 September, the last U.S. troops are due to leave Iraq, ending a military presence that began with the 2003 invasion and cost the lives of around 4,500 American service members.
Here’s your AnewZ Daily Brief for 29 September 2026, with the latest from Azerbaijan, from $10.8 billion in investment deals and Formula 1 drama to diplomacy and preparations for major FIFA tournaments.
Crude oil exports from major Middle Eastern producers rebounded in September to their highest level since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began in late February, according to data from analytics firm Kpler.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment