Cyclone Ditwah shows growing climate-driven disaster risks for Sri Lanka: Report

By Charithya Kumarasiri

Colombo, March 9 (Daily Mirror) - Sri Lanka’s recent experience with Cyclone Ditwah highlights how extreme weather events linked to climate change are increasingly shaping the country’s disaster risks, according to a new report by Greenpeace South Asia.

The report states that the cyclone should not be viewed as an isolated weather incident but as part of a broader pattern of climate change-driven disasters connected to rising sea surface temperatures and shifting weather systems in the region.

According to the findings, Cyclone Ditwah caused widespread destruction mainly through prolonged and intense rainfall rather than strong winds. The slow-moving low-pressure system remained over the country for several days, bringing extreme precipitation that flooded districts, disrupted infrastructure and triggered landslides.

Unlike typical cyclones that mainly affect coastal areas, the report noted that Ditwah’s most severe impacts were felt inland, particularly in Sri Lanka’s central highlands. The slow movement of the system caused soil saturation over several days, significantly increasing landslide risks, even in locations not previously identified as high-risk zones.

The report links these impacts to broader climate trends. An analysis by World Weather Attribution found that the extreme five-day rainfall associated with the cyclone was between 28 percent and 160 percent more intense than it would have been without human-induced global warming of about 1.3°C above pre-industrial levels.

It also noted that higher sea surface temperatures in the North Indian Ocean—around 0.2°C above the 1991–2020 average—likely added more heat and moisture to the system, increasing rainfall and flood risks.

These findings align with assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which state that extreme precipitation events are becoming more frequent and intense as global temperatures continue to rise.