Weather advisory for Phuket

PHUKET TOWN: Following heavy rains over much of Phuket this morning and afternoon, the Southern Meteorological Center (West Coast) office at Phuket International Airport has issued its first weather advisory of 2010.

Issued at 1pm, the advisory warns people in risk areas to beware of thunderstorms and strong gusts of wind.

Meteorologist Sopon Sangkaew told the Gazette there was no specific time period for which the advisory will remain in effect.

“Freak storms can happen any time after long periods of hot weather. It has nothing to do with the arrival of the monsoon season,” he said.

In its latest 24-hour forecast issued at noon today, the office calls for hot daytime conditions and scattered thundershowers over 40% of the island with Northwesterly winds from 10km/h to 30km/h.

Shipping should proceed with caution, as offshore wave heights could exceed 2 meters in areas hit by thunderstorms.

— Stephen Michael Fein