After Thailand and Malaysia, flooding devastates Sumatra island in Indonesia

Climate change accelerate catastrophes in Southeast Asia

The National Disaster Management Agency, BNPB, confirmed that over 500 people have died, a sharp increase from earlier figures on Sunday. The surge comes as monsoon rains—supercharged by tropical storms—unleashed some of the worst flooding the region has faced in years, cutting off towns, washing away homes, and leaving entire districts unreachable by land.

Rescue teams have struggled against treacherous conditions, with major highways, bridges, and roads rendered impassable. Power grids are functioning only intermittently, while internet and electricity access remain only partially restored.

North Sumatra, West Sumatra and Aceh provinces are in fact the hardest hit, with nearly 300,000 people displaced. The toll is the deadliest in a natural disaster in Indonesia since a massive 2018 earthquake and subsequent tsunami killed over 2,000 people in Sulawesi.

Air transport is under control with the Ministry of Transport assuring that traffic is operating normally from Sumatra main airports. “In air transport, several airports are reported safe and operating normally. However, road access to some airports has been blocked by floods or landslides, including DR. F.L. Tobing Airport in Sibolga, North Sumatra, and Rembele–Takengon Airport in Aceh,” he noted.

On Monday, flights were operated as usual at Medan Kuala Namu International airport, Banda Aceh, Padang and Palembang.

Pressure is now mounting on Jakarta to declare national disaster status for Sumatra to streamline coordination and accelerate response efforts.

Cyclone Senyar—an exceptionally rare storm that intensified the monsoon system—continues to be cited by meteorologists as a key accelerator in the severity of the flooding. Climate experts warn that warming ocean temperatures and atmospheric instability are making such extreme rainfall events more frequent and more destructive across Southeast Asia.