Today Thailand’s Meteorological Department warned people in 55 northern, north-eastern, central and eastern provinces to prepare for possible “strong winds and hail from summer storms”, that are expected through until Sunday. This time of the year is also know as the bridging season between the annual dry and wet seasons. Weather can be unsettled in parts of thailand during this time.

According to the forecast, the storms are due to the convergence of southerly and south-easterly winds, driven by the cold front over Vietnam, Laos and the South China Sea, and the increasingly warm weather over northern Thailand.

Summer storms, some severe, could affect the following provinces from today…

• Nan
• Phrae
• Uttradit
• Tak
• Kamphaeng Phet
• Sukhothai
• Phitsanuloke
• Phichit
• Phetchabun
• Loei
• Nong Bua Lamphu
• Nong KhaiBung Karn
• Udon Thani
• Sakhon Nakhon
• Nakhon Phanom
• Chaiyaphum
• Khon Kaen
• Kalasin
• Muk Dahan
• Maha Sarakham Roi-et
• Yasothon Amnat Charoen
• Nakhon Ratchasima
• Buri Ram
• Surin
• Si Sa Ket
• Ubon Ratchathani
• Nakhon Sawan
• Lop Buri
• Saraburi
• Ayutthaya
• Bangkok
• Nakhon Nayok
• Prachin Buri
• Sa Kaew
• Chachoengsao
• Chon Buri
• Rayong
• Chanthaburi

On Saturday and Sunday, the storms are forecast in:

• Chiang Mai
• Lamphun
• Lampang
• Phayao
• Phrae
• Uttradit
• Sukhothai
• Tak
• Kamphaeng Phet
• Phitsanuloke
• Phichit
• Phetchabun
• Roi-et
• Loei
• Nong Bua Lamphu
• Nong Khai
• Bung Karn
• Udon Thani
• Sakhon Nakhon
• Nakhon Phanom
• Muk Dahan
• Chaiyaphum
• Kalasin
• Khon Kaen
• Maha Sarakham
• Roi-et
• Yasothon
• Amnat Charoen
• Nakhon Ratchasima
• Buri Ram
• Surin
• Si Sa Ket
• Ubon Ratchathani
• Uthai Thani
• Nakhon Sawan
• Lop Buri
• Chainat
• Ang Thong
• Sing Buri
• Saraburi
• Ayutthaya
• Bangkok
• Nakhon Nayok
• Prachin Buri
• Sa Kaeo
• Chachoengsao
• Chon Buri
• Rayong
• Chanthaburi
• Trat

The weather department says people should beware of severe weather and keep off unsecured buildings and wilderness areas. Farmers should beware of crop damage. Ships at sea should proceed with caution and watch the forecast in their area..

SOURCE: Thai PBS World

Wiang Sa Police Station in Surat Thani province was notified that a 32 year old Thai man was unable to control himself and was screaming continuously inside his house.

The man’s mother says that her son had just arrived back from Bangkok and she had locked him inside the house following the quarantine order. But after the 5th day of confinement, he started to show signs of stress and “loss of control”. She explained that her son had a history of mental illness and might not have been taking his medication while living in Bangkok.

Police officers told his mother to distract her son by talking to him while they snuck into the house via the backdoor. Once inside, they apprehended the man and took him to the police station. It took about an hour before they could calm him down.

He was later sent to a hospital to be checked by medical experts.

SOURCE: The Nation

US Federal prosecutors report an engineer deliberately ran a train off the tracks at high speed near the Port of Los Angeles in an attempt to destroy the USNS Mercy hospital ship. The Pacific Harbour Line train derailed yesterday off the end of the track and crashing through multiple barriers, eventually coming to rest about 227 metres from the docked naval medical ship.

Federal prosecutors allege 44 year ol train engineer Eduardo Moreno, of San Pedro California intended to hit the ship, saying he believed it was “suspicious” and did not believe “the ship is what they say it’s for.'”

Moreno allowed the train to steam past the end of the track, crashing through a concrete barrier designed to prevent just such a mishap. The train continued on to smash through a steel barrier and a chain-link fence, slid through one parking lot and then a second gravel-filled lot, careening through a second chain-link fence. It came to rest after passing under a ramp leading to the Vincent Thomas Bridge where it leaked hazardous fule. The train remained in that position Wednesday.

No one was injured in the derailment, but the fuel leak required a hazmat response.

Authorities say Moreno admitted to crashing the train intentionally but said he did not plan it in advance. It is believed that he acted alone however an FBI investigation has found Moreno is a member of a Facebook group that studies train crashes.

He allegedly made statements to a California Highway Patrol officer that included “You only get this chance once. The whole world is watching. I had to. People don’t know what’s going on here. Now they will.”

Officials say video from inside the train’s cab shows Moreno holding a lighted flare during the incident. Speculation is that he had hopes of igniting the fuel after the spill from the crash.

The ‘Mercy’ hospital ship arrived at the Port of Los Angeles this weekend. The Navy’s hospital vessel was brought in to handle non-coronavirus patients, to help ease the burden of local hospitals that are surging with current Covid-19 cases. The ship has about 1,000 hospital beds.

SOURCE: CNN

PHOTO: USNS Mercy – NBC Los Angeles