Sri Lanka Battles Cyclone Ditwah as Floods Trigger Nationwide Emergency

Picture Credit: Zoom Earth

Sri Lanka is facing one of its most dangerous weather emergencies in nearly a decade as Cyclone Ditwah makes landfall and unleashes extreme rainfall, deadly landslides, and widespread flooding across the island. Disaster authorities confirm that the death toll has now climbed to 56, while nearly 44,000 people have been displaced from their homes.

The Disaster Management Centre has issued repeated Red Alerts, warning that over 200mm of rain is expected within the next 24 hours. The situation is being described by officials as the worst flooding along the Kelani River since 2016, with urgent evacuation orders in effect for communities along major river basins including Kelani, Kalu Ganga, and Attanagalu Oya.

Landslides, and Mass Displacement

The human cost of the storm continues to rise. Police confirm two deaths from a landslide in Aranayake, while three people were killed in Nawalapitiya when a mound of earth collapsed. Another two people died after a house collapse in Dikwella Estate, Hali Ela, with two more still missing. A further landslide in Udadumbara, Bambarabedda has left several families affected.

Entire communities are being uprooted, with emergency shelters filling rapidly. Authorities are urging residents in landslide-prone and low-lying areas to evacuate immediately using official safety routes.

Transport, Aviation, and Public Services

Transport networks across the country have suffered major disruption. The Road Development Authority confirms that the Kaduwela entrance to the Expressway is flooded, cutting off traffic to Kadawatha. The Colombo–Kandy main road is blocked at Meepitiya in Kegalle, while the Southern Expressway has been restricted to a single lane towards Colombo.

Rail services have been almost entirely suspended, with the Department of Railways allowing only a few emergency service trains to operate.

At Bandaranaike International Airport, 15 inbound flights were diverted overnight to Mattala, Trivandrum, and Cochin due to unsafe landing conditions. Sri Lankan Airlines has urged all passengers to check flight status before travelling.

Meanwhile, over 50 fishing vessels are trapped at sea, placing fishermen at major risk due to violent weather conditions.

Critical Infrastructure Under Threat

Flooding has caused severe damage to the Getambe Water Supply Center, the main source of water for Kandy, raising fears of prolonged water shortages in the coming days. Several hostels at the University of Peradeniya have been flooded, forcing the closure of the university until further notice. Authorities have confirmed that all hostel students are safe.

Even the prison system has been affected. Due to flooding at the Anuradhapura Prison, several inmates have been transferred to Trincomalee and Polonnaruwa to ensure safety.

A bus from Jaffna was trapped in flash floods in Rajanganaya, and a Bell 212 helicopter had to be deployed to airlift passengers to safety. Due to the scope of damage that cyclone Ditwah has inflicted, the government has reached out to the INS Vikrant , the Indian aircraft carrier which was docked in the Colombo Port to participate in the Navy's 75th anniversary international fleet review, which has agreed to deploy its helicopters to help with the rescue operations.

Picture Credit: Daily Mirror

Echoes of the 2016 Flood Disaster

Officials have explicitly likened the current Kelani River flooding to the catastrophic 2016 floods, which killed hundreds and displaced tens of thousands. That disaster exposed long-standing weaknesses in flood mapping, drainage systems, urban planning, and early evacuation enforcement.

Nearly a decade later, Cyclone Ditwah has once again revealed how concentrated urban development, deforestation, and river-bank encroachment continue to magnify disaster risk. The comparison has reignited calls for permanent flood mitigation, modern drainage infrastructure, and climate-resilient urban planning.

What to Expect in the Next 24 Hours

According to the Department of Meteorology, the heaviest rainfall recorded so far is 223.9mm in Kandy, and rainfall intensity is expected to increase further as Cyclone Ditwah continues inland movement. Disaster officials warn that:

• Major rivers may breach danger levels again

• Fresh landslides are highly likely

• Urban flash flooding will intensify

• More evacuations may become unavoidable

• Transport interruptions will continue nationwide

Authorities urge the public to avoid unnecessary travel, move away from river banks and unstable slopes, and immediately contact emergency services in life-threatening situations via the police disaster hotline: 071 859 1868.

A Nation Under Emergency Watch

Sri Lanka is now in full emergency response mode, with military, police, disaster services, aviation, railways, and medical teams stretched across multiple districts. As Cyclone Ditwah tightens its grip, every hour ahead remains critical.