As the northeast monsoon sweeps into the Maldives, the Maldives Meteorological Service (MMS) has issued an orange alert, urging residents and visitors to brace for a potentially terrible spell of bad weather.

At 3pm on Friday, MMS issued the orange warning from Baa atoll to Thaa atoll, after predicting torrential rain showers and thunderstorms to cloak the region, with a possibility of flooding due to the downpour.

The orange alert is effective through 7pm and was followed by a yellow alert from Baa atoll to Laamu atoll for torrential rain, thunderstorms and winds gusting at 45 miles per hour.

Announcing the commencement of the northeast monsoon for “2024”, the weather department revealed that the onset of the northeast monsoon for the previous year is later than usual.

Of the two monsoon seasons in the Maldives, the northeast monsoon, according to the Gregorian calendar, roughly extends from January to the end of March, while the southwest monsoon is from May to approximately the end of November.

The northeast monsoon typically begins to show its effects in the northern and central atolls during the second or third week of December, and by January, it spreads across the entire country.

The northeast monsoon for 2024 began in the Maldives on 2 January 2025.

The criteria used to determine the onset of the northeast monsoon include winds blowing from the east at speeds greater than 10 nautical miles per hour, and this condition persisting for two or more consecutive days.

The weather department has been issuing a number of alerts; both white and yellow across the entire country over the past 24 hours due to the adverse weather conditions.

Thunderstorms and heavy rainfall has been expected to prevail across northern and southern atolls this weekend, with heavy rain and strong winds expected to tear through central atolls on Friday and Saturday.

Due to the heavy rainfall, some islands in the Maldives have been experiencing flooding as well. Between 8am Thursday and 8am Friday, Kahdhoo island of Laamu atoll experienced 87 millimeters of rainfall, Maavah island of Laamu atoll experienced 63 millimeters of rainfall and Hulhumalé experienced 44.1 millimeters of rainfall. 41.5 millimeters of rainfall was experienced in Hulhulé.

Although tides were recorded as high as 3.2 feet in the early hours of Friday, it dropped to two by afternoon and will drop further by nightfall in northern atolls. Tides will rise to 3.1 feet in the early hours of Saturday and drop to 0.3 by nightfall.

Central atolls experienced tides rising as high as 2.7 in the early hours of Friday, dropping to 0.4 by morning and rising to 1.9 in the afternoon. It will drop further by nightfall. Tides will rise to 2.6 feet in the early hours of Saturday before dropping to 0.1 by the end of the day.

The department revealed that southern atolls will experience tides dropping from 2.9 to -0.4 by the end of Friday and ascending to 2.8 feet by early Saturday before dropping further to -0.1 by the end of the day.

Maldives experiences heavy rain showers and adverse weather conditions during the southwest monsoon as well as the northeast monsoon. Extensive periods of strong winds and adverse weather conditions are usually experienced mostly during the southwest monsoon.

Such adverse weather conditions have caused trees to uproot, roofs to be torn off, and heavy debris falling onto houses, causing immense damage. The squally weather during monsoon also causes extensive damage to crop in some islands and presents challenges for seafarers and fishermen as well. Some islands have been experiencing swell wave surges during high tides as well.