The Malaysian Amateur Radio Transmitters Society (MARTS) has activated its Disaster Response across the national amateur radio network in response to worsening floods on the east coast and in the northern part of the peninsula.
MARTS president Mohd Aris Bernawi said that the activation was carried out to ensure that amateur radio communications operated as an efficient support system in line with the needs of government rescue agencies.
He said that to ensure accurate and efficient communications, all members must comply with IARU network ethics, including the establishment of certified Net Control Stations to manage traffic flow and the use of designated emergency frequencies.
In the same statement, MARTS urged all licenced amateur radio operators to monitor gazetted emergency frequencies, and be ready for deployment when needed.
Thank you to bernama.com for these paragraphs from their report.
Meanwhile, severe flooding continues to devastate Southern Thailand, with the death toll rising to 33 by Wednesday, as relentless monsoon rains pounded the region for a second consecutive year. Catastrophic floodwaters have overwhelmed nine Thai provinces and eight Malaysian states, forcing nearly 45,000 people to evacuate their homes.
The worst-hit areas include Hat Yai, where the city’s main hospital has been flooded, prompting emergency helicopter evacuations of critical patients and air-delivery of food supplies. Drone footage reveals large districts, including parts of Songkhla Province, completely submerged. Authorities report widespread damage to homes, roads, power lines, and essential services, with over 2.7 million people affected and close to 980,000 households impacted.
GDACS says that heavy rainfall has also caused widespread flooding and landslides across North Sumatra Province in northwestern Indonesia, resulting in casualties and significant damage.
The death toll from flash floods and landslides on Indonesia’s Sumatra Island rose to 174 on Friday with 79 people missing, authorities said, as rescue workers found their efforts hampered by damaged bridges and roads and a lack of heavy equipment.
Greg Mossop G0DUB, of IARU region one, reported that, due to the floods and landslides in Aceh, North Sumatra, West Sumatra Province on Wednesday November 26 2025, the Indonesian Amateur Radio Organization (ORARI) determined the use of the following emergency frequencies:
7.110 MHz LSB, 14.300 MHz USB, 21.360 MHz USB and 145.100 MHz FM simplex.
They request all amateur radio members to ensure these frequencies are kept clear during emergency response operations.
This notification was sent out by Donny Priambodo – YB0DX Chairman of ORARI.
And in the last week, Sri Lanka has been experiencing heavy rainfall that has caused widespread flooding, landslides and severe weather-related incidents resulting in casualties and significant damage.
There has been an orange alert out for Tropical Cyclone DITWAH, causing the rain in Sri Lanka, and threatening south eastern India.
On Thursday, eNCA reported that, in our own country, KwaZulu-Natal disaster management teams have been placed on high alert again following yet another weather warning. The SA Weather Service is warning of more heavy rains, excessive lightning, damaging winds, and possibly large amounts of hail.
The warning affects several municipalities, including eThekwini, Umgungundlovu, Ugu, Harry Gwala, Amajuba, and the recently devastated uMshwathi.
New Hanover in the Midlands experienced floods over last weekend, where two people are still missing.
And in the Western Cape, the Gansbaai area has been threatened by large wildfires, after blustery southerly winds battered the Cape for over a week. The veld is very dry and the R43 between Stanford and Gansbaai has had to be closed several times this week, due to poor visibility.
I am aware of fires near Stanford, de Kelders near the Walker Bay Nature Reserve, the Masakhane area, and in the Villiersdorp area burning towards the hills in the Helderstroom direction.
The Mossel Bay Advertiser reported on Wednesday that the Mossel Bay Fire, Rescue and Disaster Management’s swift action on Tuesday 25 November ensured that a large vegetation fire in Dana Bay was contained without loss of human life, structural damage or risk to infrastructure.
The fire drew a substantial emergency response. Mossel Bay Municipality’s spokesperson, Cornelle Carstens-Johnston, said 30 firefighters were deployed on the ground, supported by 21 vehicles, including major pumpers, water tankers, bush units and light pumpers. In the Fire Service Control Centre, three officials managed the operational backbone of the incident, two co-ordinated emergency communications, one senior official directed logistics, and a media officer issued regular public updates.
Carstens-Johnston confirmed that no homes or infrastructure were threatened at any point, crediting the strong operational management for preventing escalation despite windy conditions and rapid fire spread across dry terrain.
An International Earthquake Response Exercise (ERE) is to take place this week, between 1st and 5th December. Brian ZS6YZ, our HAMNET National Director notes that the desktop exercise will test search and rescue operations, inter-agency coordination, communication and command systems, emergency medical response, evacuation and logistics, humanitarian coordination and post-disaster recovery planning.
The expected outcomes are stronger multi-hazard operational capacity, improved inter-agency interoperability, better regional and international disaster cooperation, validated national disaster protocols and clear lessons to guide future disaster response.
International Teams from Estonia, France, Germany, Guatemala, Iceland, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands and England have been invited to participate.
HAMNET Eastern Cape under the leadership of Andrew Gray ZS2G has been requested by the Nelson Mandela Bay Disaster Management to participate in the ERE.
HAMNET Gauteng has already been requested by the Gauteng Provincial Disaster Management Head of Centre to assist the National Urban Search and Rescue Team RSA-01 with communications. Brian ZS6YZ, Leon ZS6LMG and Johan ZS6DMX have been training with the team since February 2025 to get to know them, understand what their communications requirements are, and to learn how an International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) command and control system works.
Brian ZS6YZ has deployed to the Eastern Cape for this week’s ERE with the National USAR Team RSA-01, as their communications specialist, as well as to assist with the running of the Reception and Departure Centre (RDC), the USAR Coordination Centre (UCC) and the INSARAG Coordination & Management System (ICMS).
The 3 day desktop exercise will be preceded by 2 days of workshops and presentations and HAMNET is also scheduled to do a presentation. Alister ZS2OK will be doing a presentation and demonstration on how HAMNET can send emails without internet using the mode VarAC.
This is a huge opportunity to show case the capabilities of HAMNET here in South Africa as well as for Amateur Radio in the Region.
This is Dave Reece ZS1DFR, appalled by the amount of disaster weather there is to talk about, and reporting for HAMNET in South Africa.