Very heavy monsoon rains have caused serious floods and landslides in Indonesia, Thailand, and Malaysia. This has created a major crisis for the region. Sadly, more than 350 people have died. Rescue teams are having a very difficult time because the bad weather continues and many roads and bridges are damaged. This is the worst flooding the area has seen in ten years, and it has forced hundreds of thousands of people to leave their homes.
The island of Sumatra in Indonesia is the worst-hit area. Over 200 people have died there. It is very hard for rescue workers to reach some places because floodwater and mud have cut them off. In one district, Agam, 61 people have died and about 90 are still missing. In total, more than 75,000 people in West Sumatra have had to move to safer places.
In Thailand, the south of the country is experiencing its worst floods in a decade. The government says 162 people have died across the nation. In some areas, the water is three meters deep. The floods have affected around 3.5 million people, damaging farms and stopping transport.
Weather experts say a rare tropical cyclone caused the extreme rain. To try and help, Indonesian authorities plan to use a special technique called cloud seeding. They hope this will make the rain less heavy. Now, the affected countries must focus on the long and difficult work of rebuilding.