Extreme Weather Turns Year-Round with Tropical Record Heat and Flooding

Humidity-heavy heat and sudden flooding are showing up together across the tropics, and the pattern is starting to look normal on calendars that once had “safe” months. The World Meteorological Organization says exceptional land and ocean warmth has been fuelling heatwaves, heavy rainfall, and intense tropical cyclones, keeping risk high even as Pacific conditions shift.

What’s happening across the tropics right now

In Southeast Asia, cyclone-fuelled rain has hit parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, with rescues continuing as waters recede. In the Philippines, the first tropical storm of 2026 brought heavy rain, storm-surge warnings, and landslide risk, forcing closures and travel disruption. And in southern Africa, Mozambique has reported deadly flooding after weeks of hard rain. City heat is rising too, since dense neighbourhoods trap warmth and nights stay sticky. That’s the hard part.

Add record-warm oceans to that mix and storms pick up extra energy, while rain falls in sharper bursts. Local drainage systems, built for older patterns, buckle early. Farmers face whiplash too: crop stress under heat, then waterlogged fields a week later.

A quick look at what keeps repeating:

• Multi-day heat that barely cools after sunset
• Sudden downpours that overwhelm drains in minutes
• Storm tracks that slow near coasts and dump rain longer

The new “season” is a shorter warning window

Public advisories keep returning to basics, because basics save lives. Cities need shaded stops, water points, and heat alerts that reach labour camps and older residents. Flood planning needs clear culverts, mapped evacuation routes, and honest risk notes for low-lying homes. Reuters shared a short explainer on worsening heat and weather extremes on Instagram and the tone is blunt, not dramatic.