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SCMP

Catch up on some of SCMP’s biggest stories about extreme weather and natural disasters in Asia. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing.
1. ‘It’s like apocalypse’: Myanmar, Thailand quake death toll tops 1,600
The death toll from the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that rocked Myanmar and Thailand exceeded 1,600 on March 29, 2025, as rescuers in worst-affected Mandalay clawed chunks of debris with their bare hands to free the city’s trapped victims while ruptured roads, collapsed bridges and blackouts hampered aid efforts across a vast area of devastation.
2. Indonesia’s cyclone tragedy exposes lethal cost of forest destruction
Indonesia is facing renewed calls to curb deforestation and tighten oversight of forest concessions after a rare tropical cyclone tore across Sumatra, unleashing floods and landslides that have killed more than 700 people and left hundreds missing.
3. 6 cyclones, 5 weeks: Philippines can’t escape its endless cycle of disaster

Corruption, complacency and climate chaos conspire to turn the Philippines’ natural hazards into man-made tragedies.
4. ‘Flood after flood’ hits Thailand and Vietnam, with Malaysia next in line
Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced by deadly floods that swept across Thailand and Vietnam in November 2025, a crisis that has killed scores and stranded entire communities as meteorologists and climate analysts warn of heavier rains driven by La Nina and long-term warming.
5. Japan tremors raise fears of overdue megaquake killing 199,000

A cluster of tremors off Japan’s northeastern coast has raised alarms among seismologists, as a new government study warns that up to 199,000 people could be killed if a magnitude 9 earthquake strikes.
6. Seismic stirrings: third earthquake in 4 days shakes Malaysia’s Johor
A third earthquake in four days rattled Malaysia’s Johor state on August 27, 2025, unsettling assumptions that the country is shielded from seismic activity and prompting calls for greater disaster preparedness.
7. Rising snow and glacier melt puts almost 2 billion in South Asia at risk: report
The lives of nearly 2 billion people in South Asia are at risk as snow and glacier melt across the Himalayas accelerates, aggravated by black carbon pollution from burning biomass and fossil fuels and unsustainable farming, climate experts have warned.
7. Is the ‘Big One’ coming? Earthquake mania grips Philippines as fears mount

A spate of powerful earthquakes across the Philippines has triggered widespread panic, sparked a flood of misinformation and prompted officials to take decisions that experts warn could undermine long-term disaster readiness.
8. Climate collapse: Southeast Asia’s new normal?
From more frequent tropical cyclones to rising sea levels, for many of Asia’s most vulnerable populations, the climate crisis is already here.
9. Japan on alert as Hokkaido tremors reignite megaquake fears
A string of moderate earthquakes off the coast of Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido has reignited concerns among experts and residents about the risk of a catastrophic seismic event – though scientists stress the tremors do not necessarily signal an impending disaster.
10. Malaysia faces searing heatwave as temperatures hit high of 37 degrees

Malaysia braced for heatwaves with temperatures topping 37 degrees Celsius in certain areas during the summer as experts warn of the serious health threats faced by residents due to the adverse weather conditions.


Improved defences will help Hong Kong weather typhoon season

‘Miraculous’ rescue off US coast as 11 survive crash and 5-hour sea ordeal

South Korea adds ‘extreme heat emergency’ to first major alert update in 18 years

Southeast Asia warned of ‘Godzilla El Nino’ whiplash threatening drought, floods, haze

Extreme weather

Asia’s 2025 in extreme weather and natural disasters, from deadly earthquakes to typhoons

Residents inspect the collapsed Maha Myat Muni Pagoda in the city of Mandalay, Myanmar, following a devastating earthquake. Photo: EPA-EFE

A woman walks along a mud-covered street in Liloan, Cebu province, in the aftermath of Typhoon Kalmaegi on November 6. Photo: AFP

A car is seen stranded on a stretch of collapsed road in Aomori prefecture, northeastern Japan, December 9 following a powerful magnitude 7.5 earthquake. Photo: EPA

Locals look for items in a collapsed house in Manay, in the province of Davao Oriental on October 11, after two powerful quakes struck off the southern Philippines on October 10. Photo: AFP

Six areas in Peninsular Malaysia experienced maximum daily temperatures of between 35 and 37 degrees Celsius for three consecutive days last week. Photo: Reuters

Indonesia flood death toll passes 1,000, over 200 still missing

Police officers help to carry coffins on Thursday during a mass burial for victims of floods and landslides in West Sumatra, Indonesia. Photo: Xinhua

Japan quake shows urgent need to improve tourist safety: ‘didn’t know where to go’

A worker cleans up inside a shopping centre in Hachinohe in Aomori prefecture on Tuesday. Photo: Kyodo/Reuters

A car parked outside a hotel in Mutsu, Aomori prefecture, is damaged by a signboard that fell after a strong earthquake on Monday. Photo: Kyodo/Reuters

An employee cleans the interior of a restaurant and uses adhesive tape to secure bottles and glasses on the shelves in Hachinohe, Aomori prefecture, on Tuesday. Photo: EPA/Jiji Press

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From the deadly earthquake in Myanmar to tropical cyclones in the Philippines, Asia went through its share of natural disasters in 2025


From the deadly earthquake in Myanmar to tropical cyclones in the Philippines, Asia went through its share of natural disasters in 2025.


Asia’s 2025 in extreme weather and natural disasters, from deadly earthquakes to typhoons

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From the deadly earthquake in Myanmar to tropical cyclones in the Philippines, Asia went through its share of natural disasters in 2025

1. ‘It’s like apocalypse’: Myanmar, Thailand quake death toll tops 1,600

2. Indonesia’s cyclone tragedy exposes lethal cost of forest destruction

From the deadly earthquake in Myanmar to tropical cyclones in the Philippines, Asia went through its share of natural disasters in 2025