Hat Yai flood hit by heaviest rainfall in 300 years
Heavy monsoon rains have triggered severe flooding across ten southern provinces. Hat Yai recorded precipitation levels described by officials as a one-in-300-year event.
BANGKOK — The Royal Irrigation Department’s Smart Water Operation Centre (SWOC) has reported that a powerful monsoon trough combined with a low-pressure cell. This has battered Southern Thailand since November 19, causing widespread inundation.
The severe weather system has affected ten provinces: Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Satun, Songkhla, Phatthalung, Trang, Narathiwat, Pattani, and Yala. Rainfall accumulation over a 24-hour period measured between 300 and 500 millimetres.
The rainfall was considered the heaviest in the history of Songkhla Province and Hat Yai District on November 21st. It saw 335 millimeters of rainfall recorded in one day, the most in 300 years.
The accumulated rainfall over three days (19-21 November) reached 630 millimeters. This is higher than the highest accumulated rainfall of 428 millimeters during the 2010 floods. Currently, the depth in Hat Yai Municipality ranges from 0.50 to 2.50 meters.
IThe deluge caused rapid rises in main rivers and secondary canals, leading to overflows in several waterways including Khlong Wat, Khlong U-Tapao, and Khlong Wa.
Officials noted that the Phuminat Damri Canal (Drainage Canal R.1) is a key infrastructure project designed to divert water from Khlong U-Tapao to Songkhla Lake.
This helped mitigate the disaster despite the rainfall volume exceeding the canal design capacity. Its ability to drain 1,200 cubic meters per second significantly reduced the volume of water entering downtown Hat Yai.
“Without Canal R.1, the situation in Hat Yai would be far more severe than what we are currently witnessing,” the SWOC statement indicated.
The Royal Irrigation Department has deployed 32 water pumps and 14 water propulsion units to accelerate drainage. Officials plan to intensify pumping operations once river levels drop below their banks.
Meteorologists report that while rain persists in the area, the intensity is trending downward. If no significant additional rainfall occurs, authorities expect the situation to resolve and return to normal within three to five days.
Latest Thailand News
Follow The Thaiger on Google News:
