Southern regions battered by Typhoon Damrey

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Southern regions battered by Typhoon Damrey

 

A severe weather warning was issued for the South Eastern Region on Monday, as the Meteorological Department forecast heavy rain for the entire region, while banana farmers in Songkhla were already suffering gale-force winds caused by Typhoon Damrey.

 

The South Eastern Meteorological Centre warned of a strong low depression over the Southern Region that had caused heavy rain in the entire Eastern coast of the Southern Region and were likely to continue until at least Tuesday. People in the whole of the South Eastern Region were also warned to prepare for possible flash floods.

 

 

 

The Meteorological Department forecast that there would be heavy rain in more than 70 per cent of the South Eastern Region on Tuesday and three-metre waves in the Gulf of Thailand. Sukit Wiriyaphongsukit, a banana farmer in Songkhla’s Na Mom District, said half the banana trees in his farm had been destroyed by the strong winds.  

 

His banana crop would be ready for harvesting within a week, he said, but up to 2,000 trees had been uprooted by the storm and he had already asked the authorities for help.

 

Meanwhile, three districts in Surat Thani have been designated as being at risk for flash floods but provincial Governor Witchawut Jinto said the weather conditions in the province were still normal on Monday.  

 

However, the local authorities were already on high alert, he said, and officers would be on hand to help people evacuate in the event of disaster, especially in the at-risk districts of at Kanchanadit, Chaiya and Phrasaeng. Meanwhile, 500 officers from the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry have been dispatched to the province to prepare and cope with possible flash floods. 

 

It was also reported on Monday that the ferry services to Koh Samui and Koh Phangan were still operating as usual despite the rough seas.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30330963

 

 

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