Imminent arrival of additional heavy rainfall

The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued a warning of heavy rainfall across Thailand from Sunday to Wednesday, due to ongoing monsoon conditions and the dissipated Tropical Storm Kajiki. The storm, now a low-pressure area, has brought continuous downpours for the next seven days, according to a report from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF).

The heavy downpours have already caused significant problems in the North and Northeast regions of Thailand. In Chiang Mai, a landslide in Moo 1 and Moo 18 of the Mae Chaem district's Ban Pang Ung village has resulted in the evacuation of residents from tambon Mae Suek. Four people have tragically lost their lives, and at least eight houses have been damaged. The authorities are currently searching for five residents reported missing following the landslide.

More than 50 residents are now staying at a shelter in Ban Pang Ung to escape the risk of further landslides. Elsewhere in Chiang Mai, residents in Ban Pha Bong Tai of Muang district are receiving assistance from police and rescuers due to flash floods caused by runoff from Pha Bong mountain.

The affected area in Mae Hong Son province, where a landslide occurred on the morning of the last day, is the district of Muang, specifically the community of Khuha Sawan. Approximately 300 houses were flooded, and evacuation took place due to ongoing flood and landslide threats.

The rain has fed into the Ping, Yom, and Nan river basins, requiring close monitoring in the coming days. Additionally, the low-pressure area over the upper part of the country and the monsoon trough moving through the northeastern region and the Central Plains will cause downpours from Thursday to next Friday.

The rate of rain is predicted to jump to between 60 and 80% until Wednesday, according to the TMD. This has already affected roughly half of Bangkok and its neighbouring provinces, with additional downpours forecast for these regions.

Residents in affected areas are advised to stay indoors and follow the instructions of local authorities. The TMD urges everyone to stay safe during this period of heavy rainfall and landslides.