The Cyclone Ditwah power outage has left millions of Sri Lankans in darkness as authorities race to restore essential electricity services. Despite the scale of the storm’s impact, repair teams have accelerated recovery efforts. Officials say most consumers are gradually regaining access.
Sri Lanka restores services swiftly as Cyclone Ditwah power outage disrupts millions
Sri Lanka’s power sector faced one of its most significant challenges in recent years as Cyclone Ditwah brought massive disruptions across the country, leading to a widespread power outage that affected more than half of the nation’s electricity consumers. According to the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB), the cyclone knocked out power to 3.9 million of its seven million customers, plunging entire regions into darkness and overwhelming emergency response teams. Officials said the impact was particularly severe in several central districts where the destructive winds and rain brought infrastructure to a standstill.
In an update provided by the President’s Media Office, CEB Deputy General Manager Noel Priyantha noted that the utility had managed to restore power to 85 percent of affected users by December 4. The rapid recovery, despite the magnitude of the cyclone’s damage, has been attributed to intensive deployment of technical teams and uninterrupted repair operations around the clock. Priyantha emphasized that the restoration work required complex coordination, especially in areas where roads, grids and buildings suffered structural damage.
Cyclone Ditwah’s powerful winds caused the failure of 16,771 transformers spread across various regions. Repair crews were able to restore 14,549 of those units within days, highlighting a substantial operational push amid challenging conditions. However, many communities, particularly in the highland cities of Kandy, Gampola and Nuwara Eliya, remained without power for more than three days. These areas, known for their mountainous terrain, faced additional complications as fallen trees, landslides and blocked access roads slowed the pace of restoration.
The prolonged outage in these densely populated zones prompted urgent calls for assistance from local authorities, who noted that the lack of electricity also disrupted access to essential services. Hospitals and emergency facilities in some areas relied heavily on backup generators to ensure continuity of operations. The power failure extended beyond households and businesses, affecting telecommunications networks as well. Several service providers reported interruptions to mobile towers and Internet connectivity, leaving residents unable to communicate during the peak of the crisis.
As repair teams continued their work, the government emphasized that national recovery was progressing steadily. The Ministry of Power underscored its commitment to ensuring that all affected residents regained access to electricity as quickly as possible. Senior officials acknowledged the frustration experienced by communities cut off for days but stressed that the unprecedented scale of the cyclone had stretched available resources. The ministry further stated that technical assessments were ongoing to identify long-term measures to strengthen grid resilience and prevent similar widespread outages in the future.
Cyclone Ditwah, which swept across multiple districts with heavy rainfall and strong winds, was one of the most disruptive weather events to hit Sri Lanka in recent memory. The storm’s intensity overwhelmed several systems simultaneously, from energy and communication networks to urban services and transport routes. Local authorities said the restoration of electricity remained a top priority because it directly affects livelihoods, health services, and business activity. Many small enterprises, especially those dependent on refrigeration, communication or electronic machinery, reported temporary shutdowns due to the outage.
While the immediate focus remained on restoring electricity to the remaining households, officials also began examining broader impacts on the national grid. Experts noted that the cyclone exposed vulnerabilities in older sections of the infrastructure, particularly in rural and hillside regions. Energy policy analysts suggested that ongoing reforms, including investments in modern transmission systems and decentralized renewable grids, could help reduce risk in similar future events. They added that diversifying Sri Lanka’s energy mix may improve both efficiency and reliability during natural disasters.
Despite the disruption and discomfort caused by days of darkness, Priyantha and other officials reiterated that Sri Lanka’s power sector has demonstrated strong capacity and resilience during an extreme weather incident. The restoration of electricity to the majority of consumers within a short period has been cited as evidence of improved disaster-response coordination. The government also praised the efforts of engineers and field staff working in hazardous conditions to repair infrastructure and provide relief to communities struggling without essential utilities.
As the nation continues its recovery from the Cyclone Ditwah power outage, authorities expect full restoration in the coming days. Residents in the hardest-hit regions are urged to remain patient as crews address the most complex repairs that require additional equipment and safety measures. For many households, the return of electricity marks a step toward normalcy after days of uncertainty brought on by the storm. Officials have pledged updates on remaining restoration efforts, reinforcing their commitment to ensuring that no community is left behind in the aftermath of the disaster.