On my morning bike ride in Doi Saket (Chiang Mai) I came upon the strangest site.  Portions of the rice fields were flattened.  Not just one farm, but several different fields.  Seemed to be in a general path, so I assume it must be a weather event.  We have had some scattered thunderstorms.  
 

Notice how the rice is flattened in just one direction—not like a blast in the center with flattening in all directions.  
 

has anyone seen this before and have explanation?

The aliens had been on the Thai whisky

Flooding water?

IMO, looks like microbursts from thunderstorms with or without hail. Either that or some teenagers with a log . 

Edited October 22, 20232 yr by degrub

3 hours ago, degrub said:

IMO, looks like microbursts from thunderstorms with or without hail. Either that or some teenagers with a log . 

Maybe nano microburst? 😉. Internet says microbursts cover larger area and wind gusts radiate from center outward.  These all lay down in one direction only

Here is a picture i found online with similar impact attributed to wind. 
 

https://www.dreamstime.com/rice-fields-damaged-winds-image200409799

 

there are some others if you browse. Heavy rain plus the down draft could easily do it to a grain heavy stalk. I have seen similar in the US midwest when storms rolled over a field with ripe winter wheat close to harvest. 

1 hour ago, degrub said:

Here is a picture i found online with similar impact attributed to wind. 
 

https://www.dreamstime.com/rice-fields-damaged-winds-image200409799

 

there are some others if you browse. Heavy rain plus the down draft could easily do it to a grain heavy stalk. I have seen similar in the US midwest when storms rolled over a field with ripe winter wheat close to harvest. 

Thanks, Degrub.  It was so strange to see.  A fairly narrow path through different fields while nearby fields not touched.  A rare but not unique event.  

On 10/22/2023 at 10:14 AM, carlyai said:

Flooding water?

It certainly looks like water has done it.

The second picture from the top is what didn’t seem to fit the water flow theory to me. The stalks seem to be flattened towards the ridge row, including the ones along the edge.  I don’t know.  I’d be interested to understand how that pattern could happen. The rest of the pictures, certainly water flow could be the culprit. My experience is with winter wheat when an early thunderstorm comes rolling through close to harvest. Sometimes the whole field is flattened, sometimes little bits of it.