Thailand: Thai authorities warned on Monday, October 5th, of heavy to very heavy rain across much of the country, as floodwater already covering parts of the central and eastern regions continued to rise in places downstream of major dams.
The Thai Meteorological Department’s latest alert covered 51 provinces and Bangkok and warned of heavy to very heavy rain on the fifth of October, with risks of flash floods, runoff and overflows near waterways, foothills and low-lying land. The unsettled weather is linked to a high-pressure system from China interacting with the southwest monsoon, and forecasters have said the pattern could persist through 7 October.
Irrigation officials said water from the north was still moving downstream and lifting levels below the Chao Phraya dam. In Nakhon Nayok, the governor sent an urgent letter to the Royal Irrigation Department asking it to hold back releases into canals 14, 15 and 16. In Prachinburi, water remained high in parts of the provincial town, while levels in Ban Sang had risen about 15 centimetres.
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said that as of early Sunday, flooding had affected 1,171,165 households, or about 3.26 million people, in 27 provinces and Bangkok. Bangkok alone accounted for about 329,000 households and four deaths, the agency said. Water in the capital had begun to fall, but standing water and Chao Phraya levels were still being watched as dam releases continued.
Areas flagged for very heavy rain on Monday included Kamphaeng Phet, Phitsanulok, Phichit, Phetchabun, Nakhon Sawan, Uthai Thani, Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong and Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, with Bangkok and its surrounding provinces also expected to see heavy rain. A further spell of heavier rain is forecast for the east, the central region including Bangkok, and the south from 9 to 13 October.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has ordered agencies to speed up relief, including compensation payments, clean-up and restoration of utilities, and to prepare 14 southern provinces for the next round of rain. The Royal Irrigation Department has opened a 24-hour crisis centre to manage flows in the Chao Phraya and Pasak basins.