Southeast Asia is reeling from a devastating flood wave in late November 2025, as torrential rains swamp large parts of Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia. The flooding across Thailand, Vietnam, and Malaysia is forecasted to end by the weekend.
Scientists and disaster-management authorities point to a strong La Niña pattern — combined with a highly active monsoon trough — as a key factor behind the extreme rainfall. While La Niña alone does not cause every detail of the floods, it establishes a favourable backdrop for extreme rain. In November 2025, this has interacted with a persistent monsoon trough and other systems, triggering record deluges in several countries.
Thailand: Hat Yai declared a disaster zone
Southern Thailand has been among the worst-hit areas. The record rainfall is linked to a powerful monsoon trough that set in around 19 November, in combination with a low-pressure cell over southern Thailand and the lower Andaman Sea.
From 19 to 21 November 2025, Hat Yai in Songkhla province recorded an accumulated 630 mm of rain — the Royal Irrigation Department says this is the worst three-day deluge in more than 300 years. On 21 November, a single-day total of 335 mm was recorded, marking the heaviest 24-hour rainfall in Hat Yai in three centuries.
On 22 November, Hat Yai issued a “red-flag” flood alert, with 103 communities warned to evacuate as water levels surged and key roads were disrupted. Then on 24 November, the governor of Songkhla declared all 16 districts a disaster zone, ordering the evacuation of the elderly, children, and other vulnerable groups. Thousands of tourists in Hat Yai – including Singaporeans – were holed up in their hotels without food or electricity, some for days.
The centre of Thailand wasn’t spared either; bulging dams have been opened, flooding nearby communities. Even Atutthaya’s ancient stupas haven’t been spared, while some nearby villages – particularly Tha Din Daeng – have been fully submerged by the floodwaters.
Vietnam: catastrophic flooding in central belt
In central Vietnam and the Central Highlands, flooding and landslides killed dozens of people. By 22 November 2025, the death toll had risen to 55, with 13 reported missing, according to disaster-management authorities. That same day, authorities reported more than 235,000 homes flooded and extensive damage to crops.
On 23 November, the number of casualties climbed further: state media and disaster agencies reported as many as 90 confirmed deaths and 12 still missing across the flood-impacted provinces. The hardest-hit provinces include Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Khanh Hoa and Lam Dong, as many thousands of homes were submerged. Dak Lak has been repeatedly singled out as suffering the largest number of deaths and extensive isolation of communities.
Tourist areas from Nha Trang and Hue to the ancient city of Hoi An have been hit by successive waves of flooding. Floodwaters have inundated the historic streets, traditional wooden houses, and riverside shops. Waist-high floodwaters forced large-scale evacuations of tourists by boat, particularly in historic areas and riverfront hotels.
Malaysia: Kelantan and northern/eastern states affected
By 24 November 2025, over 11,000 people from 3,839 families had been affected by flooding in seven states: Kedah, Kelantan, Penang, Perak, Perlis, Terengganu, and Selangor.
Among them, Kelantan was hardest hit, with more than 8,000 people displaced and housed in dozens of temporary relief centres. According to The Straits Times, by 24 November afternoon, the number of evacuees in these states had risen to 13,782, with 9,634 people in 38 relief centres in Kelantan alone.
On 25th November, flooding was reported in parts of Shah Alam, Klang and Puncak Alam, while flood warnings have been issued for the Gombak, Petaling, and Hulu Langat districts. Meanwhile, a flood warning is in place for Penang from 24-26 November.
How long will the flooding last? Will Singapore be affected?
According to regional forecasts, the period of intense rain driven by La Niña and the monsoon trough is expected to persist through much of the northeast monsoon, which is predicted to last until around March 2026. Meteorological agencies, including MetMalaysia, warn of five to seven episodes of heavy, continuous rain during that stretch. Beyond that, many climate models suggest that the La Niña influence could weaken or return to a more neutral state in early 2026, reducing the likelihood of further extreme rainfall.
As for Singapore, it has so far avoided the worst of the flooding. Experts note that while La Niña can enhance rainfall, their impact on Singapore’s total precipitation during the northeast monsoon is relatively muted. In fact, the local meteorological service suggests that La Niña has little effect on Singapore’s rain during December–January; rather, any increase in rain would more likely occur in February–March, when the monsoon rainband shifts further south.
