Flood Situation Improves, But Thailand Braces For New Round Of Heavy Downpour

By Linda Khoo Hui Li BANGKOK, Oct 11 (Bernama) -- The flood situation triggered by tropical storm “Dianmu” continues to improve, but Thailand is bracing for new round of heavy downpours in the next few days which may cause overflows and flash floods. Thailand’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department said heavy downpour since September 23 has affected 323,523 households in 33 provinces and left at least nine dead. “A total of 95,233 households at 1,998 villages in 16 provinces remain affected by flood,” it said in a statement. Thailand’s Metrological Department said the tropical storm “Lionrock” is bringing heavy downpour in the upper northeast of Thailand. “People in the high-risk areas should be aware of the heavy rainfall and accumulation of water that may cause overflows and flash floods,” it said in a statement. It said tropical depression “Lionrock” weakened to a low-pressure cell in upper Laos at 7 am (local time) today and it moved to the upper northeast of Thailand, bringing heavy to very heavy rains. The Metrological Department forecast the strong southwest monsoon prevails across the Andaman Sea, the South and the Gulf of Thailand and bring heavy to very heavy rains likely in some places of the North, the Central, the East and the South (west coast) regions. “The waves are 2 to 3 meters in the Andaman Sea and the upper Gulf, about 2 meters high in the lower Gulf, and more than 3 meters high in thundershowers. All ships should proceed with caution, and small boats keep ashore,” it said. -- BERNAMA