Strong winds rip off roofs, damage farmland in the south

Strong winds and heavy rain in southern Addu City and Fuvahmulah Island uprooted trees, damaged farmland and ripped off roofs on Friday.

Some 60 farms suffered damage due to flooding and ripped off the roofs of 37 houses in Addu City, the second most populous region in the Maldives. No one was harmed.

“Houses were damaged due to flooding and atleast ten huge trees fell. These include mango and breadfruit trees,” Addu City Mayor Abdulla Sodiq said.

“We are still inspecting the damage and working on repairing homes.”

Winds were recorded at 64 miles per hour on Thursday.

President Abdulla Yameen said the government is monitoring the situation closely and pledged to help victims

The police have provided temporary shelter to one family. The Maldives National Defence Forces (MNDF), the police and Red Crescent volunteers are providing relief and helping people repair homes in Addu and Fuvahmulah.

A Fuvahmulah councilor said several roofs were blown away, but the extent of the damage is not yet known.

Ali Shareef, the deputy director general at the department of meteorology, said strong winds are typical at this time of the year. However, the damage was caused by prolonged strong winds.

The meteorology department predicts tidal surges in the southern atolls today.

Tidal swells hit the eastern waterfront of Malé around 11:30pm on Wednesday night, flooding the outer road and cafés and restaurants in the carnival area with water up to one and a half feet.

One man was injured in a lightning strike on Wednesday in a thunderstorm in Malé. Another lightning strike cut off electricity at the State Trading Organization’s Offices in Malé.