Storm alert: Phuket’s rain game is just getting started

Hold onto your umbrellas, folks, the driving rain that drenched southern parts of Phuket this morning is just a taste of what’s to come, warns Wirote Lewcharoenthrap, Director of the Southern Meteorological Centre (west coast).

Thanks to a vigorous southwest monsoon hammering the Andaman Sea and the west coast, southern Thailand is bracing for heavy downpours and choppy seas from today, September 16, through to at least Thursday, Wirote revealed.

“The Southern Meteorological Centre predicts heavy to very heavy rainfall across the provinces of Ranong, Phang Nga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang, and Satun. Residents in these areas should be alert to potential flash floods and severe weather conditions.”

PhuketMet, the island’s weather authority, reports that today’s forecast alone sees an 80% chance of rain with gusty winds between 20-40km/h. So far this month, Phuket has been drenched with 267mm of rain, totalling a whopping 1,643mm for the year, according to PhuketMet.

As if the rain isn’t enough, the Andaman Sea is set to unleash strong wind waves reaching 2 to 3 metres, with thunderstorms potentially whipping up waves over three metres high. All vessels are urged to proceed with caution, and steer clear of stormy waters, and smaller boats (under 7 metres) should stay put until the weather clears up.

Residents are urged to stay informed and gear up for severe weather. Meanwhile, the national headquarters of the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has projected the stormy weather to ramp up further by Friday and Saturday.

Backing this dire forecast, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) predicts that from Wednesday through Saturday (18-22 September), a monsoon trough will descend to cover the lower Central region, the East, and the upper South, reported The Phuket News.

“Special caution is advised on the monsoon side, particularly along the Andaman coast,” the TMD warns.

Stay dry and stay safe, Southern Thailand – the worst is yet to come!