Male' under water; Met Office issues fresh alert

The Maldives Meteorological Service has forecast continued heavy rainfall across parts of the country, while Male' City remains flooded following hours of downpour on Wednesday.

According to the Met Office, rain is expected to persist until 06:00 on Thursday, with torrential rain and thunderstorms affecting several central atolls.

A Yellow Alert was issued from Baa Atoll to Meemu Atoll, warning of severe weather between 22:30 Wednesday night and 02:30 Thursday morning.

Flooding in Male' has prompted emergency response teams to install water pumps and sandbags across low-lying areas.

Southwest and west winds ranging from 13 to 23 miles per hour are expected across the central atolls, with gusts reaching up to 40 miles per hour in storm clouds. Sea conditions will be strong in the central Maldives, where wave heights are forecast between 4 and 7 feet, while the northern and southern atolls will experience moderately strong seas with waves between 3 and 6 feet.

The Met Office said rainfall is expected to ease gradually after Monday, though intermittent showers may continue in some regions.