Wettest March in 30 years

PHUKET: Rainfall in Phuket in March and the first week of April this year was the heaviest in 30 years, a government meteorological officer told the Gazette today. Khun Amorn Chantanavivate, Director of the Weather Forecasting Sub-Division of the Southwestern Regional Meteorological Center, reports that Phuket had 132.7mm of rain in March and 31.7mm in the first week of April. This compares with 10.3mm in the entire first four months of last year. Normally at this time of the year, he explained, Phuket is under the influence of a ridge of high pressure from China. But this year the high has not spread so far from the north, allowing low pressure troughs from the south to push into the area. Last year’s rainfall was particularly low, he noted, because of the influence of El Niño. May will be wet, he says, as the normal rainy season comes into play.