Phuket set for heavy rains

PHUKET: The Meteorological Department is warning of possible heavy rains and rough seas along the Andaman coast over the next 24 hours, as unusually strong monsoonal conditions prevail in what is normally Phuket’s driest month.

In a report issued at 11am today, the Southern Meteorological Center (West Coast) read that a “rather strong” northeasterly monsoon prevails over the southern Thailand’s west coast and the Andaman Sea.

People in risky areas should beware of heavy rains and shipping should proceed with caution, it read.

The monsoon is more intense in the more southerly provinces of Krabi, Trang and Satun, where “fairly widespread” thunderstorms are predicted across 70% of the region for the 24-hour period that started at noon today.

Winds will be northeasterly from 15kmh to 35kmh, driving waves as high as three meters in offshore areas.

The forecast for Phuket over the same period calls for scattered showers covering 40% of the area and similar wave conditions offshore.

— Stephen Michael Fein