Rainy Season

[zzaa09]

Is it me? Or is this the driest rainy season we've experienced in many years. Most of southern Isaan is far below normals for this time of year......some 'dry rice' complications could develop if these conditions continue. Drier where you are?

[Jezz]

Here near Sakon Nakhon, the locals have been complaining about too much rain! Really. They're saying after all the massive storms of late, they want a dry spell to make rice planting easier. After that, they want more rain. Strange but true.

[gotlost]

In Surin the locals are on their Third planting of rice. The other two planting have died for lack of rain. If this planting does not take no rice. Up in Chiang Mai as much as some areas show great potential for rice and I can still show you dry, baked and cracked fields. It does not look good for Thailand. this year.

Edited July 26, 2010 by gotlost

[MJP]

In Surin  the locals are on their Third planting of rice. The other two planting have died for lack of rain. If this planting does not take no rice. Up in Chiang Mai as much as some areas show great potential for rice and I can still show you dry, baked and cracked  fields. It does not look good for Thailand. this year.

It's overcast again today, but still no rain.

Local chap just lost 65% of his rubber plantation here just north of Roi-Et. I believe the rice situation here is the same as yours.

This is all compounded by the Three Gorges Dam reducing the flow of the Mekong and therefore our local Shee River, one local chap was telling me that is becoming quite critical now.

Another issue is the abstraction of groundwater from deeper aquifers, it can be quite saline increasing the salt load to top soils and reducing crop yields.

[binnsy]

:whistling:13;:52pm and its raining in Huairat

[Stjohnm]

After a very hot summer it is not uncommon to have a dry wet season, the Thai met office advised farmers in Isan to delay planting their rice until consistent rain arrives. They are having the same problems all over the region, the Filipino Government, predicted that they were in for the worst drought in 10 years.

[gotlost]

Even though there is still 3 more months of good rain if it does not start in the next two weeks and the rice gets planted IT"S OVER.

Edited July 26, 2010 by gotlost

[MJP]

15:32

Fon-tok mak mak!!!

Gotlost is right, we need heavy rain constantly really to recharge these upper aquifers.

[zzaa09]

15:32

Fon-tok mak mak!!!

Gotlost is right, we need heavy rain constantly really to recharge these upper aquifers.

Seems as the consistence rain is regional selective. Very weird.

[MJP]

15:32

Fon-tok mak mak!!!

Gotlost is right, we need heavy rain constantly really to recharge these upper aquifers.

Seems as the consistence rain is regional selective. Very weird.

Yes. Could be elevation and/or local microclimates. 

India is okay this year, bad last year (down 24% on the average rainfall for the monsoon), so this weather pattern Thailand and further east (Philippines) are experiencing is in a separate system.

Dribbling again now, getting a little bit most days but still not enough. 

[Atmos]

In Sa Kaeo - regularly treated to big electrical/thunder storms towards the Cambodian border and think 'yes, there will be rain' but it rarely makes it to our place, a few decent downpours lasting 30min is about all we've had, yet 2 weeks ago rice planting began in a frenzy, it could be bad news ahead.

I was weeding the gardens today, the top few inches is totally dry, soil just crumbles.

Banquo: It will be rain tonight

First murderer: Let it come down

Edited July 26, 2010 by genghis61

[gotlost]

www.tmd.go.th/en Year to date total (YTD) Surin as of today 548.6 mm of rain. For this time the average should be 650.18 mm. Negative 101.58 mm of rain. "Houston we have a problem." Edited July 26, 2010 by gotlost

[MJP]

In Sa Kaeo - regularly treated to big electrical/thunder storms towards the Cambodian border and think 'yes, there will be rain' but it rarely makes it to our place, a few decent downpours lasting 30min is about all we've had, yet 2 weeks ago rice planting began in a frenzy, it could be bad news ahead.

I was weeding the gardens today, the top few inches is totally dry, soil just crumbles.

Banquo: It will be rain tonight

First murderer: Let it come down

Only thing saving my lawns is dew point very early morning.

[MJP]

www.tmd.go.th/en     Year to date total (YTD) Surin as of today 548.6 mm of rain. For this time the average should be 650.18 mm. Negative 101.58 mm of rain. "Houston we have a problem."

It's the frequency too. Heavy downpour, evaporates. Need that remorseless continuous type.

[gotlost]

Maybe just maybe the wife's family in Kap Choeng are going to dodge the bullet. They have received enough rain in the past three days that water is now standing in the fields. They plan on planting their nursery rice in the next two days. The nursery rice was grown on 2 rai with water from their ponds.

[MJP]

Thai farmer up here with a 100 or so rai said this is the worst it has ever been. Mentioned the Three Gorges Dam again, said 'great, they turn the water on when it rains, but the Chinese hoard it during dry season'.

First thing he said to me was 'I thought it was going to rain all day, but it's not'. Worry increasing here by the day.

[gotlost]

Just checked YTD 609.9 mm. Should have 656.6 mm. Negative 46.7 mm. That's a big change from a few days ago but it still sucks.

www.tmd.go.th/en

Edited July 27, 2010 by gotlost

[MJP]

Just checked YTD 609.9 mm. Should have 656.6 mm. Negative 46.7 mm. That's a big change from a few days ago but it still sucks.

www.tmd.go.th/en

Good find by the way. It'll come.

[gotlost]

Chiang Mai where I'm located at the moment is at 276.5 mm and should be at 504.6 mm. Negative 228.1 mm. That really stinks. The rice fields by my house are receiving water from the reservoir outside of town. I can still show you areas up hear that are not being planted.

[MJP]

Chiang Mai where I'm located at the moment is at 276.5 mm and should be at 504.6 mm. Negative 228.1 mm. That really stinks. The rice fields by my house are receiving water from the reservoir outside of town. I can still show you areas up hear that are not being planted.

A good and beneficial economic stimulus would be the construction of more reservoirs and forced groundwater recharge in aquifers with high storativity. 

This may off set the effect of the Three Gorges Dam during dry season, improving seasonal water management. Perhaps the Chinese government would like to contribute as way of compensation?

[ballpoint]

The Three gorges dam crosses the Yangtze, what does it have to do with water levels in Thailand? Don't get me wrong, I'm a big critic of the Mehkong dams, and how the Chinese use them to control water flow, I just don't see how the Three gorges would have any effect here.

[Rdrokit]

Well so far this year it has been drier than usual in Korat but rainy season usually starts on the Queens birthday which if I am not mistaken is August 12th so we still might have a wet rainy season.