4 h. ago Indonesia floods were ‘extinction level’ disturbance for rare orangutan species

Conservationists fear up to 11% of Tapanuli population perished in disaster that also killed 1,000 peopleIndonesia’s deadly flooding was an “extinction-level disturbance” for the world’s rarest great ape, the Tapanuli orangutan, causing catastrophic damage to its habitat and survival prospects, scientists warned on Friday.Only scientifically classified as a species in 2017, Tapanulis are incredibly rare, with fewer than 800 left in the wild, confined to a small range in part of Indonesia’s Sumatra. Continue reading...

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4 h. ago Indonesia floods were ‘extinction level’ disturbance for world’s rarest ape

Conservationists fear up to 11% of Tapanuli orangutan population perished in disaster that also killed 1,000 peopleThe skull of a Tapanuli orangutan, caked in debris, stares out from a tomb of mud in North Sumatra, killed in catastrophic flooding that swept through Indonesia.The late November floods have been an “extinction-level disturbance” for the world’s rarest great ape, scientists have said, causing catastrophic damage to its habitat and survival prospects. Continue reading...

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6 h. ago Rare orangutan species faces extinction after devastating Indonesia floods

Local rangers say they are struggling to find the primates in an area where sightings were common prior to the disaster

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19 h. ago Warming oceans made Asia’s deadly floods far worse, scientists say

Sea surface temperatures over the North Indian Ocean were 0.2C higher than the average over the past three decades, researchers say

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37 h. ago Warming oceans made Asia’s deadly floods far worse, scientists say (cloned)

Sea surface temperatures over the North Indian Ocean were 0.2C higher than the average over the past three decades, researchers say

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39 h. ago ‘Not normal’: Climate crisis supercharged deadly monsoon floods in Asia

Cyclones like those in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia that killed 1,750 are ‘alarming new reality’The climate crisis supercharged the deadly storms that killed more than 1,750 people in Asia by making downpours more intense and flooding worse, scientists have reported. Monsoon rains often bring some flooding but the scientists were clear: this was “not normal”.In Sri Lanka, some floods reached the second floor of buildings, while in Sumatra, in Indonesia, the floods were worsened by the destruction of forests, which in the past slowed rainwater running off hillsides. Continue reading...

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3 d. ago Trained elephants help Indonesia clean up after deadly floods

A group of elephants have been recruited to help clear debris following the devastating floods in Indonesia.

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4 d. ago Sri Lanka issues fresh landslide warnings as Cyclone Ditwah death toll crosses 600

Ongoing monsoon rains are hitting areas already devastated by cyclone and further destabilising hillsides

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6 d. ago Aerial footage shows devastating aftermath of flooding in Indonesia

Drone video has shown the extent of the devastation in Aceh after Indonesia and parts of southeast Asia were hit by deadly flooding.

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8 d. ago Asia floods: Death toll crosses 1,500 as rescuers race to reach isolated villages

Hundreds of villages remain buried under mud and debris

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8 d. ago Asia floods: Death toll crosses 1,400 as rescuers race to reach isolated villages

Hundreds of villages remain buried under mud and debris

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9 d. ago What’s behind the massive death toll in floods across Southeast Asia – and why it should serve as a warning

Regional experts warn that without rapid cuts in fossil-fuel emissions and serious investment in resilience – from restoring forests to enforcing planning rules – disasters like this year’s may become regular rather than rare, Stuti Mishra reports

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9 d. ago Global heating and other human activity are making Asia’s floods more lethal

Much improved response systems are struggling to cope with ever more powerful and destructive stormsDeath toll from Indonesia floods passes 700 as 1 million evacuatedFamilies stranded on their rooftops. Homes buried by fast-flowing mud. Jagged brown craters scarring lush green hillsides.The scenes are the result of a series of cyclones and storms in a heavy monsoon season that have struck Asia with torrential rains, gutting essential infrastructure and reshaping landscapes. The violent weather has killed at least 1,200 people in the past week and forced a million to flee without knowing whether their homes will still be standing when they go back. Continue reading...

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9 d. ago Families on rooftops, homes buried by mud: Asia floods show water is overtaking wind as main threat

Much improved response systems are struggling to cope with ever more powerful and destructive stormsDeath toll from Indonesia floods passes 700 as 1 million evacuatedFamilies stranded on their rooftops. Homes buried by fast-flowing mud. Jagged brown craters scarring lush green hillsides.The scenes are the result of a series of cyclones and storms in a heavy monsoon season that have struck Asia with torrential rains, gutting essential infrastructure and reshaping landscapes. The violent weather has killed at least 1,200 people in the past week and forced a million to flee without knowing whether their homes will still be standing when they go back. Continue reading...

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1 week ago Death toll from Indonesia floods passes 700 as one million evacuated

About 3.2 million people on Sumatra island have been affected, 2,600 have been injured and 504 are missingThe number of people killed by floods and landslides on Indonesia’s Sumatra island rose to 753 on Tuesday, the disaster agency said, with 504 people missing.The toll was a sharp increase from the 604 dead reported by the agency on Monday. Continue reading...

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1 week ago Death toll from Indonesia floods passes 700 as 1 million evacuated

About 3.2 million people on Sumatra island have been affected, 2,600 have been injured and 504 are missingThe number of people killed by floods and landslides on Indonesia’s Sumatra island rose to 708 on Tuesday, the country’s disaster agency said, with 504 people missing.The toll was a sharp increase from the 604 dead reported by the agency on Monday. Continue reading...

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1 week ago Indonesia raises death toll to 753 after cyclone brings catastrophic flooding to Sumatra

Millions uprooted across South and Southeast Asia as rare cyclones and monsoon rains unleash deadly devastation

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1 week ago Floods and cyclonic storms across Thailand, Sri Lanka and Indonesia leave over 1,200 dead and hundreds missing

Catastrophic flooding displaces more than four million people

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1 week ago Death toll from Indonesia floods passes 750 as one million evacuated

About 3.2 million people have been affected by the floods, while 2,600 have been injured and 504 people remain missingThe number of people killed by floods and landslides on Indonesia’s Sumatra island rose to 753 on Tuesday, the disaster agency said, with 504 people missing.The toll was a sharp increase from the 604 dead reported by the agency on Monday. Continue reading...

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1 week ago One million people evacuated in Indonesia as death toll from floods surpasses 650

In Indonesia, 3.2 million people have been affected by the floods, while 2,600 have been injured and 475 people remain missingThe death toll from flooding and landslides across Indonesia’s Sumatra island has risen to 659, the country’s disaster agency said, as one million people were evacuated from high-risk areas.Heavy monsoon rains and tropical cyclones have devastated parts of Asia this week, including Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Southern Thailand, killing more than 1,200 people across the region, destroying infrastructure and inundating towns. Continue reading...

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