Monsoon rains hit Phuket

Heat lightning over Chalong Bay last night.

Photo courtesy Dean Noble/www.storinglight.com.

PHUKET: -- Thunder and heavy rain across Phuket this morning indicate that the rainy season is settling in.

Sorot Sawatdiraksa, a meteorologist with the Southern Meteorological Center (West Coast) at Phuket Airport, said today’s morning rains were the first heavy morning rains this year.

"The rain today is a sign of change. Before today there were no morning rains, only hot-season evening rains related to thunderstorm activity. In the monsoon season it normally rains morning and evening, but without heavy thunder. In this sense, this morning’s thunder was quite unusual,” he said.

Heavy monsoon rains typically return to Phuket in May and run though until December, he said.

The Meteorological Department's forecast for Phuket for the 24-hour period starting at 5pm today calls for widely scattered thundershowers over 30% of the island.

-- Phuket Gazette 2010-05-07

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Lucky

When the prevailing winds switch to the south-west and it rains, then I'll believe that the monsoon rains have finally arrived.

When the prevailing winds switch to the south-west and it rains, then I'll believe that the monsoon rains have finally arrived.

The wind has been changing direction already for a week or so.

When the prevailing winds switch to the south-west and it rains, then I'll believe that the monsoon rains have finally arrived.

The wind has been changing direction already for a week or so.

It still isn't coming from the south-west. It has been changing, but, this is just sign that we are in the middle of the switch between monsoon winds. I've never known the SW monsoon to be so late.

The thunderstorms in Chalong in the last few days came in from the North East.

No rain in Rawai, we're still bone dry down here. Looking at windguru.com, it looks like the wind from the SW will be a constant starting on Sunday.

When the prevailing winds switch to the south-west and it rains, then I'll believe that the monsoon rains have finally arrived.

The wind has been changing direction already for a week or so.

It still isn't coming from the south-west. It has been changing, but, this is just sign that we are in the middle of the switch between monsoon winds. I've never known the SW monsoon to be so late.

Last year was extraordinary early monsoon, arriving before Songkran. In 2003 monsoon rains started in mid-June (best I remember).