Rain forecasts raise fears in flood-hit Indonesia, Sri Lanka

CLOLOMBO

Rain forecasts on Thursday raised fears of more damage in flood-hit Indonesia and Sri Lanka, after earlier deluges killed more than 1,500 people in four countries.

In Indonesia, the weather agency warned the three hardest-hit provinces on the island of Sumatra would see "moderate to heavy" rain on Dec. 4.

The downpour started overnight and while it has not reached the same intensity as last week, it has frayed nerves in a region traumatized by flash floods and landslides.

"We are afraid that if it rains suddenly, the flood will come again," 54-year-old Sabandi told AFP at a shelter in Pandan, North Sumatra.

Indonesia's death toll stood at 776 yesterday, revised down slightly from a day earlier as information arrives from remote, less accessible areas.

More than 560 people remain missing, with patchy communications and electricity making it hard to confirm their whereabouts.

Seasonal monsoons bring rainfall that farmers across Asia depend on, but climate change is making the phenomenon more erratic, unpredictable and deadly.

Two separate weather systems drenched all of Sri Lanka, Sumatra, parts of southern Thailand and northern Malaysia last week.

In Sri Lanka, forecasters said the northeast monsoon was due to arrive from yesterday afternoon.

Landslide alerts were renewed for some of the worst-hit areas of the central Kandy region, and residents were advised not to return home as the saturated slopes could collapse under more rainfall.