PUBLISHED: 26 Dec 2024 at 04: 00
Officials are being advised to plan for the heavy rain that will be expected in southwestern Thailand on Friday and Saturday, according to Defense Minister Phumtham Wechayachai.
Sasikarn Watthanachan, assistant representative of the Prime Minister’s Office, said Mr Phumtham, who heads the Centre for Flood, Storm, and Landslide Relief, stressed the need for attention as a cold top is forecast to cause great storms in the South at the end of 2024.
Particular attention is being paid to the regions of Nakhon Si Thammarat, Chumphon, Surat Thani, and Phangnga, where it is anticipated that the rain will not be as heavy as past flood-related shells, with the forecast for Friday’s Hua Sai region in Nakhon Si Thammarat seeing snowfall exceeding 90 millimeters. From Dec 29 to 30, the weather is expected to move north to the regions of Songkhla, Phatthalung, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, before tapering off by first January.
In the meantime, the north and northeast regions will continue to experience morning fog and great weather.
The covered Tubtim Siam fruit orchard in Ban Saeng Wiman community in Nakhon Si Thammarat’s Pak Phanang region has been the subject of reports from the Royal Irrigation Department.
Up to four million square meters are being discharged every day using thirty-four pump and 17 water propellers. As of Wednesday, water degrees had dropped by 12cm from the past 24 hours, and the place is expected to remain dry quickly.
Additionally, the center urged local authorities to plan for possible salt intrusions and high seas from December 29 through January 8 in provinces like Samut Prakan, Bangkok, and Nakhon Pathom.
People of low-lying regions along the Chao Phraya and Tha Chin streams are advised to remain vigilant.
However, help is being distributed to flood-affected homes. The government has approved payment of 9, 000 ringgit per family to 169, 052 people, with allocation to conclude by Friday. Authorities want to make sure the aid procedure is open and effective.