Phuket storms caused by killer typhoon

PHUKET CITY: The rain lashing down on Phuket this week is not normal monsoon rain but the outer rings of Typhoon Ketsana, which arrived in Thailand today, according to Phuket Meteorological Office.

Phuket Meteorological Officer Sophon Sanggaew said the conditions would persist for another two or three days.

Typhoon Ketsana was downgraded to a tropical storm after making landfall in Ubon Ratchathani province this morning with sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour.

Before arriving in Thailand Typhoon Ketsana devastated the Philippines, leaving 246 dead, and caused extensive damage and flooding in Cambodia and Vietnam, killing another 49 people.

Moving west at a speed of 15 kilometers per hour, the typhoon is expected to weaken as it passes through the northeastern region of Thailand, but will dump a lot of rain.

Meanwhile the southwest monsoon over the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand is also intensifying, with strong winds and waves likely to reach a height of 2 to 3 meters.

— Gazette Reporters