Continuous heavy rain has flooded streets and buildings across Male’ City, prompting emergency responses from the National Disaster Management Authority and the Maldives National Defence Force.
NDMA said 89 buildings reported flooding, including 33 houses, shops, cafes, government and private buildings, schools and clinics. Sandbags were distributed and teams worked to drain water from affected areas. MNDF Fire and Rescue units deployed pumps in multiple neighbourhoods.
The Maldives Meteorological Service upgraded warnings as rainfall intensified. An orange alert was issued for parts of the country between Kaafu and Vaavu atolls, forecasting heavy rain and possible flooding. Earlier yellow alerts had warned of thunderstorms and winds up to 45 mph.
Authorities advised residents to place sandbags at entrances, elevate belongings, secure electrical appliances and call emergency services if needed. Seafarers were urged to exercise caution because of rough seas linked to the strengthening southwest monsoon and low-pressure systems over the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal.
The weather disruption follows a period of unsettled conditions that also affected other atolls.
