Record October rain brings floods to southern Myanmar

Floods sparked by record October rain hit parts of southern Myanmar on Monday, inundating roads and fields.

On Sunday authorities reported that 200 mm (almost eight inches) of rain had fallen in the previous 24 hours in Bago region northeast of commercial hub Yangon a record for October.

The rainy season typically brings months of heavy downpours, but scientists say man-made climate change is making weather patterns more intense.

In Pha Yar Gyi near Bago, vehicles drove along roads where floodwaters reached bumper levels. Some residents floated along the water on makeshift rafts.

The state-backed Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper said the nearby Bago river could exceed its “danger level” by almost a metre in the coming days, warning local residents to take precautionary measures.

Flooding began in late July and has affected nine of Myanmar’s states and regions, including Rakhine, Kachin, Karen, Mon and Chin.

Myanmar is in the grip of a bloody civil conflict between the junta, which ousted the government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, and armed groups opposed its coup.