Tourists vacationing on the resort island of Phuket in Thailand have been warned of downpours, gale-force winds, and flooding heading for the south of the country. Bad weather is expected from December 8 to 11 along the entire Andaman coast. The danger was reported by Phuketnews concerning the meteorological bulletin of the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) and the Office of National Water Resources (ONWR).
According to the document, heavy rain is expected in southern Thailand on Thursday and Friday (Dec 8-9) as a northeast monsoon prevails over the Gulf of Thailand and the south, while low pressure is observed in the south. In this regard, the Advisory Service urged tourists and residents to take precautionary measures in southern areas prone to flooding. First of all, these are the areas of Phuket, Thalang, and Muang. Experts also urged to beware of sudden rises in water levels and canals that could overflow the banks. Major rivers and tributaries throughout southern Thailand have been identified as areas of particular risk.
“To prepare for any eventuality, relevant agencies are advised to do the following: 1. Constantly monitor the weather and water situation, especially in areas with a total rainfall of more than 90 millimeters in 24 hours and in areas at risk of regular floods – said the message.
Earlier, on December 5, flash floods hit the center of the popular tourist island of Phuket immediately after a downpour that lasted only three hours. The flooding zones were small, so everything was quickly brought to order, and there were no victims.