Death and devastation: why a rare equatorial cyclone and other storms have hit southern Asia so hard

By Steve Turton, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Geography, CQUniversity Australia

More than 900 people are dead, thousands more missing and millions affected by a band of cyclones and extreme monsoonal weather across southern Asia. Torrential rain has triggered the worst flooding in decades, accompanied by landslides. Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia have been hit hardest. The death toll is likely to rise significantly.

Normally, cyclones don’t form close to the equator. But Cyclone Senyar formed just north of the equator in the Malacca Strait.…

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