Storm Mangkhut causes heavy rain in Thai North, Northeast

BANGKOK, August 9 (TNA) - Storm Mangkhut has caused heavy downpours in the Thai North and Northeast, where several roads have been flooded and some of them have been blocked by landslides. Heavy downpours, measuring 93 millimeters, were reported on Friday morning in Meuang district of Thailand's northern Mae Hong Son province due to the storm, flooding, among others, Mae Hong Son-Ban Kung Mai Sak Road in the Pang Moo locality. If the amount of rainwater exceeds 100 millimeters, a flash flood will be likely. Heavy downpours, measuring up to 214 millimeters, were also reported in nearby northern Chiang Rai province, causing flash floods from the Doi Nang Lae mountain to submerge many sections of the Phahon Yothin Highway leading to Mae Sai district, about one kilometer of which was under some 50-centimetre-floodwater, forcing all its outbound lanes to Mae Sai to have been closed and reversible lanes have been opened on the inbound side. Floods also hit several roads in the Nakhon Chiang Rai Municipality, including San Khong and Na Khai Roads, as well as adjacent communities, prompting provincial authorities to have warned locals of possible flash floods and landslides in eight districts due to the persistent rain. A landslide was reported on Kiew Satai-Doi Mae Salong Road in Baan Jakona of the Pa Tueng locality in Chiang Rai's Mae Chan district last night. Local officials, however, quickly reopened the route. In Loei Province in the Thai Northeast, water levels in the Mekong River have kept rising by one centimeter an hour due to continual heavy downpours, reported at 11.55 meters on Friday morning, causing Lao cargo boats to be unable to leave their port in Chiang Khan district because they got entangled in weeds and logs floating in the river. Water levels of the Mae Huai River, which passes through Chiang Khan and is a tributary of the Mekong River, has also been rising quickly and is about to overflow. (TNA)