Health watch urged for several areas as mercury drops

The Nation

Temperatures have been dropping in many regions across the country, with some northern areas already hit by a cold spell.

The Meteorological Department yesterday urged people to take extra care of their health as weather conditions were changing.

"It's just between 4 and 10 degrees Celsius on mountaintops," it said.

According to the weather bureau, the mercury dropped by between 1-3 degrees in the North, Northeast, East and Central regions yesterday under the influence of a high-pressure ridge hovering over the upper part of the country.

In Bangkok and its vicinity, the lowest temperatures were 19-20 degrees.

While the cold weather is proving a welcome relief for many and has even stimulated tourism, it is posing a health threat to people who lack adequate warm clothes.

In Chon Buri's Sattahip district, for example, a 13-year-old boy blamed his mother's death on the chill.

"It's very cold at night," the boy said tearfully. "We don't have enough blankets."

His 49-year-old mother, Suna Jandadan, died in their shack. Her body lay stiff on the floor when police arrived. The mercury dropped to around 19 degrees in Sattahip.

In Sakhon Nakhon, the lowest temperature was 12 degrees and a large number of locals needed treatment for respiratory disorders.

In Nakhon Phanom, officials were closely monitoring the health of dogs at the provincial animal-quarantine station after canine distemper started to spread amid the cold weather.

"We have now vaccinated them. Some 40 dogs are being housed separately," an official said.

The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department yesterday declared seven districts as cold-spell zones. They are Omkoi, Samoeng, Chom Thong, Fang, Galyani Vadhana and Mae Ai in Chiang Mai and Pang Mapha in Mae Hong Son.

Meanwhile, farmers in Phitsanulok's Bang Rakam district expressed concern about imminent drought in their area.

"The water level in the Yom River has been dropping fast," said Samlee Jaemdee, 50.

She has now dug a 3-metre-deep artesian well in the hope of storing water for her paddy fields.

"With floods having eased, a drought is clearly coming," she said.

-- The Nation 2011-12-13

Of course it's sad if someone passes away, but common, this is for sure not because of the cold. 19 degrees was the normal temperature in my house before I moved to Thailand. The people on the mountains need to be more careful of course, but hey, they know the cold season will come every year around this time, don't they?

Then the problem of the upcoming drought:

Well, if they manage the floods better and dig out reservoires for the water then A. you have no problem with floods and B. you have water for your paddy fields! It's a win-win solution, yet so simple.

8° last night at my home (bordering Mae Wong National Park, Nakhon Sawan; elevation 200m). Still not as cold as a few years ago when I noted the mercury dropped to 5° (same place).

Mercury drops to 4 degree in North

The Nation

The minimum temperature on northern mountaintops further dropped to 4 Celsius degree Tuesday morning, the Meteorological Department reported.

In its morning forecast, the department said an intense high pressure area caused cool cold weather over the North, the Northeast, the East and the Central including Bangkok and vicinity.

It said the minimum temperature on northern mountaintops would range from 4 to 10 Celsius degrees from 6 am Tuesday to 6 am Wednesday.

The lowland minimum temperature in northern provinces during the period would range from 12 to 16 Celsius degrees during the same period.

The minimum temperature in Bangkok would be between about 17 to 19 Celsius degrees from Tuesday morning to Wednesday morning.

-- The Nation 2011-12-13

I recall when it dropped to 22C back in 1971. That's when everyone thought we were going to have a new ice age.

But I'm sure it is due to Global Warming now.