Wet weekend ahead

PHUKET: Island residents can expect a wet and overcast weekend, thanks to slow-moving tropical storm Vicente, which at 7 am today was centered in the South China Sea about 600 kilometers east of the Vietnamese city of Qui Nhon.

Maximum winds speeds recorded near the center of the storm were about 75 kilometers an hour.

Chumnong Chitpukeed, Director of the Southern Meteorological Center (West Coast) at Phuket Airport, told the Gazette this afternoon that more than 40% of the island will experience scattered thundershowers over the weekend.

Rainy conditions are expected to continue into next week, he added.

Southwesterly winds ranging in speed from 20kph to 40kph will produce waves up to three meters in height, and small craft are advised not to put to sea until at least 7 am tomorrow, when a fresh 24-hour forecast will be issued. Shipping is also advised to proceed with caution.

For weather updates for Phuket, click here.