A powerful cyclone has triggered deadly floods and landslides across Sri Lanka, destroying homes, isolating communities and leaving hundreds dead.

Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has sent a cable of condolences to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake of Sri Lanka following the extensive loss of life caused by cyclone-related flooding and landslides in the island nation.

He also conveyed his wishes for the swift recovery of those injured, as the nation grapples with its deadliest natural disaster in decades.

Cyclone Ditwah has devastated large parts of the island, flattening villages, submerging cities and overwhelming rescue services, with 410 people confirmed dead in Sri Lanka alone and hundreds more still missing.

Dissanayake described the catastrophe as the “largest and most challenging natural disaster in our history,” as authorities struggle to reach remote areas and deliver aid to the more than 1.4 million people affected.

Cyclone Ditwah has affected more over 407,594 families across 25 districts. Across Badulla district, at least 71 people have been confirmed dead and 53 remain missing. Survivors have spent days digging through the wreckage of their homes, retrieving only fragments of their former lives, pots, clothes, and whatever had not been swallowed by the mud.

In Colombo and other major cities, entire neighbourhoods remain underwater. A Buddhist monk in a flooded suburb stood beside a temple half-submerged in murky water, reflecting the scale of destruction that has engulfed religious sites, schools, shops and homes. Military helicopters have been deployed to drop essential supplies, while rescue teams navigate floodwaters in small boats, moving stranded families from rooftops and trees.

According to Wolrd Health Organization report, nearly 233,000 people have been displaced into almost 1,441 active shelters as homes and community infrastructure sustained severe damage. More than 565 houses fully destroyed and over 20,271 partially damaged.

The destruction has echoed across the wider region. Extreme weather linked to the storm system has killed many more also in Indonesia and Thailand.

In Indonesia, 744 people have died after torrential rains triggered widespread flooding and landslides. Thailand has recorded 181 deaths, with the city of Hat Yai experiencing its highest one-day rainfall in 300 years. Malaysia has also reported fatalities as thousands remain in evacuation centres.