Thursday 22 Oct 2026
Authorities provide sandbags to protest against flooding as rain batter Male' on October 21, 2026. (Photo/Male' City Council)
The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) states around 90 buildings sought help after being impacted by heavy flooding, which engulfed Male’ last night following prolonged hours of heavy rain.
Prolonged and heavy rainfall left the capital severely flooded last night, with several areas experiencing heavy flooding.
In a social media post, the NDMA stated that, as of 23:00pm last night, 89 buildings had requested sandbags to prevent floodwater from entering their premises.
The reports included 33 private residences, 35 shops, five cafés and restaurants, five government and private buildings, four schools, two clinics, two warehouses, one office building, and one construction site.
The authority also received a report of a sewage leak at a residence during the storm.
The NDMA confirmed that 10,000 sacks intended for sandbagging had been handed over to the Malé City Council, with sandbags already deployed at 31 locations.
Male' recorded 90 millimetres of rainfall over the past 24 hours, while the Maldives Meteorological Service has forecast continued rainy weather across the Maldives for Thursday.
