Thailand on alert: PM’s rain mandate amid flood concerns

As Thailand braces for a spate of heavy rain and potential flash floods between August 10 to 15, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha initiated a stern mandate to the authorities.

PM Prayut is urging the authorities to devise and implement necessary precautions in the wake of the forecasted weather scenario. The PM’s call to action comes amid an alert sounded by the National Water Command Centre (NWCC) about an increasingly swelling Mekong River predicted to rise until Tuesday.

Conveying the PM’s distress over the anticipatory downpours, deputy government spokesperson Rachada Dhnadirek said yesterday that the prime minister stresses on efficient dissemination of the latest weather updates to the people, especially those residing in flood-prone regions.

The NWCC pinpointed that persistent rains in recent days have led to a considerable increase in water levels in the lower part of the Mekong River, notably affecting Bolikhamxay province in Laos. An added climatic menace is a low-pressure trough that has enveloped northern Vietnam and southern China, and is expected to unleash heavy showers in Northern and Northeastern Thailand starting today and continuing till Tuesday, reported Bangkok Post.

Dhnadirek said…

“Agencies functioning in eight provinces along the Mekong River have been assigned by the Prime Minister to prepare for potential floods. These provinces include Chiang Rai, Loei, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Amnat Charoen and Ubon Ratchathani.”

She further advised the residents along the Mekong Riverbank to be alert to the water levels and to get ready for any possible flash floods in the region.

The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) also issued a warning for residents in the north, northeast and south of the country to prepare for showers.

Moreover, it predicted that 60% of Bangkok and the neighbouring provinces could witness intermittent thunderstorms in the afternoon and during the evening over the next few days.

The TMD also forewarned that the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand will experience persistent south-westerly winds. They anticipated waves cresting at one to two metres in the Gulf of Thailand, with an increased likelihood of exceeding two metres in the Andaman Sea during the storms.

In the meantime, traffic control has been restored onto roads that were facing closure due to landslides and subsidence, with the installation of pre-fabricated Bailey bridges. The twin branches of Highway 1256 and Highway 1081 in the Bo Kluea district of Nan had seen substantial damages due to flash floods and landslides on Monday.

Despite the restoration of the Bailey bridges aiding traffic flow, motorists have been cautioned about driving with utmost care owing to landslides that may occur on the edges of mountainsides.

Meanwhile, over 100 residents across 27 families living in the flood-impacted sub-districts of Bo Kluea Tai and Bo Kluea Nuea have been relocated to safer shelters.