No End in Sight For Heavy Rains

 

The Meteorological Department on Saturday issued a warning for people in the North and Northeast to prepare for widespread scattered rain with heavy falls in some areas and the danger of floods over the next few days.

The department said the Nesat tropical storm prevailing over Vietnam is easing to depression. This will cause widespread scattered rain on the eastern part of the North and the upper part of the Northeastern during this period.

People living near hillsides and waterways in Chiang Rai, Nan, Nong Khai, Buengkan, Sakon Nakhon and Nakhon Phanom should prepare for heavy rain and flash flooding, it warned.

Due to the prevailing southwest monsoon over the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, there will also be strong wind-generated 2 to 3-metre-high waves in the Andaman Sea. All shipping should proceed with caution and small boats should keep ashore today and the next few days, the department said

The flood death toll had risen to 188 as the country was lashed by a series of tropical storms since late July. Nearly two million people have been affected by floods and mudslides, and 122 roads were impassable.

The damage was not along the Mekong areas but mostly from rising flood levels in the key Chao Phraya River and other smaller rivers.

More than two million acres (809,371 hectares) of farmland in Thailand were also under water early this week, an area 11 times the size of Singapore, Reuters reported.

This year’s rice production is expected to drop by about 20 per cent due to the massive flooding in the country, Thai Farmers Association president Prasit Boonchoey

Mr Prasit said the government’s plan to provide financial relief for flood-hit farmers at the rate of 2,098 baht per rai was good, but authorities should watch out for people trying to make dishonest gains from this measure.

He said some people who had not really suffered damage have registered for help, causing a delay in relief payments to those actually affected.

Thailand is the world’s biggest rice exporter and its main rice crop of the year is normally harvested from October.