Winds rip roofs off homes in sudden storm in Maradhoo-Feydhoo

An unexpected storm hit Maradhoo-Feydhoo on Monday morning, ripping roofs off homes and causing other damages in the district of the southern Maldivian city of Addu.

Khalida Mohamed, the councilwoman for Maradhoo-Feydhoo, told Sun that the unexpected weather phenomenon hit the central part of the island around 08:40 am, unleashing strong winds and heavy rain for about 20 minutes.

At least seven properties have reported getting the roofs ripped off during the brief episode, including from multiple private residences, the district’s funeral home and Noor Mosque.

“Some people are saying they saw a whirlwind. But I cannot say for sure. The rain came unexpectedly. It lasted about 20 minutes. Its sunny again now,” she said.

“The funeral home is a large structure. The roof of the property was found inside a home a long distance away.”

Photos shared by Maradhoo-Feydhoo’s residents on social media platforms show the roofs of some of the homes lying on the road, blocking traffic.

Khalida said that despite the extensive damage to properties, there have not been reports of any injuries.

The Addu City Council is gathering information on all homes that suffered damages in the incident, and working with other relevant authorities to provide assistance.

The incident comes with the Maldives Meteorological Service forecasting generally fine weather, except for scattered rain in some islands, with west to northwesterly winds of 13-23 miles per hour.