Thailand braces for cold weather and heavy rain: A warning from Thai Meteorological Department

The Thai Meteorological Department, via their Facebook fan page, has issued a warning of cold weather across the country, heavy to very heavy rain in the south, and strong sea waves in the Gulf of Thailand. The weather changes are expected to occur tomorrow from December 20 to 25.

A high-pressure system, or a mass of cold air from China, will influence and cover Thailand and the South China Sea from December 20 to 25. This will cause Thailand to experience cold to very cold weather with strong winds. The northeastern region will see temperatures drop by 5 to 8 degrees Celsius.

In the north, temperatures will decrease by 4 to 6 degrees Celsius. In the central region, including Bangkok and its vicinity, and in the east, temperatures will drop by 3 to 5 degrees Celsius. The upper south will see a temperature drop of 2 to 4 degrees Celsius.

The mountain tops in the north will have very cold weather with minimum temperatures of 3 to 10 degrees Celsius and frost in some areas. The mountain tops in the northeast will also have very cold weather with minimum temperatures of 5 to 13 degrees Celsius. People in these areas are advised to take care of their health due to the cold weather and be aware of the danger of fires that could occur due to dry weather and strong winds.

The northeast monsoon over the Gulf of Thailand and the south will strengthen. Moreover, in the period of December 22 to 25, a low-pressure cell over the lower South China Sea tends to move through the lower Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia down to the lower Andaman Sea.

This will cause heavy to very heavy rain in some areas of the lower south. People in the lower southern region should be aware of the danger from heavy to very heavy rain and accumulated rainfall that may cause sudden flooding and forest runoff, especially in areas near waterways and low-lying areas, reported Sanook.

Further weather updates

Sea waves in the Gulf of Thailand will be strong from December 22 to 25, with wave heights of 2 to 4 metres. In areas with thunderstorms, waves can be higher than 4 metres. The Andaman Sea will have waves about 2 metres high. In areas with thunderstorms and far from the coast, waves can be higher than 2 metres.

People in the eastern southern region should be aware of the danger from waves hitting the shore. Boat operators in the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea should navigate with caution and avoid areas with thunderstorms. Small boats in the Gulf of Thailand should refrain from leaving the shore during this period.

People are urged to follow the announcements from the Thai Meteorological Department. Information can be accessed on the Thai Meteorological Department website http://www.tmd.go.th or at 0-2399-4012-13 and 1182 available 24 hours a day.