Tropical storm DITWAH made landfall over the central-eastern coast of Sri Lanka on 27 November just before 12:00 (UTC), with maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h. After that, it continued northward inland, and on 28 November at 6:00, its centre was located over northern Sri Lanka, with maximum sustained winds of 65 km/h. As of 28 November, media report 31 fatalities, 14 people missing, around 1,790 displaced, approximately 4,000 affected people and nearly 400 damaged houses across the island due to floods and landslides. DITWAH is expected to continue northward over the Bay of Bengal on 28-29 November, slightly weakening. After that, it is forecast to pass very close to the Pondicherry territory, south-eastern India in the morning of 30 November as a tropical depression. (ECHO, 28 Nov 2025)
Latest assessments continue to reveal the extensive scale of Cyclone Ditwah’s impact, with widespread flooding and landslides deepening humanitarian needs across the country. Updated government figures report 366 deaths and 367 people missing, with 1,151,776 people (316,366 families) affected across all 25 districts. The cyclone has left 218,526 people from 61,612 families sheltering in 1,564 government-run safety centres.
The highest numbers of affected people are recorded in Gampaha, Colombo and Puttalam, each exceeding 170,000 people. Numerous landslides have been reported in parts of the central highlands, particularly around Kandy and Gampola, with new displacement continuing as of 30 November. (UN RC Sri Lanka, 1 Dec 2025)
Tropical Cyclone DITWAH caused flooding and triggered landslides when it passed through Sri Lanka, resulting in a large number of casualties and damage. The most affected districts are Gampaha, Colombo, and Puttalam. As of 2 December, the Disaster Management Center (DMC) reports 410 fatalities, 336 missing individuals, and 233,015 people displaced to 1,441 safety centres. A total of 1,466,615 people have been affected across 25 districts. Numerous landslides have been reported in the Kandy and Gampola districts. Several main roads have been closed, and power outages persist in the most affected areas. (ECHO, 2 Dec 2025)
