Wet week predicted for Phuket

PHUKET CITY: Phuket residents will get little relief from heavy rains and dark skies over the next week, but the severity of storms should lessen, according to the Meteorological Department office in Phuket.

Methawee Nuanla-or, an officer at the Meteorological Department’s South (West Coast) station near Phuket International Airport, said current rainy conditions are expected for the rest of the week.

“Expect mostly rainy conditions for the rest of the week, but with less of the kind of storm activity we have experienced over the past two weeks,” he said.

“There may be some brief periods of sunshine. Temperatures will be from 29 degrees to 32 degrees Celsius,” he added.

Year-to-date rainfall figures at the two official monitoring stations in Phuket show 2009 has already surpassed average annual rainfall amounts.

The station in Phuket City recorded 19.4mm of rain for the 24-hour period starting at 7am yesterday.

Year to date, the station has recorded 2,006mm and seems well on pace to hit its average annual rainfall of 2,271mm.

Phuket Airport received 14.3mm over the same 24-hour period and 2,287mm year-to-date. Average annual rainfall there is 2,497mm.

While there has been much griping about the weather in Phuket in recent weeks, expect little sympathy from residents of provinces to the north.

Rainfall has been much heavier at the monitoring stations in Phang Nga’s Takuapa District and Ranong, which have recorded 3,439mm and 4,193m, respectively, year-to-date.

— Atchaa Khamlo