Chiang Mai On Full Alert For Impacts From Cyclone

[george]

Cyclone Mala hits Myanmar, north and west Thailand

BANGKOK: -- Thailand's Meteorological Department warned local residents in eight northern and western provinces to brace for heavy downpours and possible flash floods due to tropical cyclone Mala, as it moves into Thailand from Myanmar.

At 7am Saturday the cyclone, with maximum wind speeds of 140 kph, was some 500 kilometres southwest of Thailand's northern province of Mae Hong Son.

Cyclone Mala was moving northeastward at 18 kph and was expected to make landfall on the Myanmar coast Saturday afternoon.

The department said flash floods are forecast in Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, Tak, Chiang Mai, Lampang, Udon Thani, Kanchanaburi, and Ratchaburi.

Two to three-metre high waves are expected in the Andaman sea and the Gulf of Thailand.

Meteorological Department director general Suparerk Tansriratanawong warned that some districts in Chiang Mai will be hardest hit with heavy rainfall. However, he said, the mountaineous terrains in west Thailand will weaken the cyclone to reduce its impact Sunday.

However, residents in mountainous areas should be alert to heavy rain and the possibility of flash floods.

--TNA 2006-04-29

Chiang Mai on full alert for impacts from "Mala" storm

CHIANG MAI: -- The governor of this northern city Saturday ordered provincial officials to be on full alert for possible flash floods expected to be caused by torrential rains due to the influence of Mala tropical storm.

The northern office of the Meteorological Department announced that at 4 am on Saturday the storm was moving at the speed of 18 kilometres per hour and its maximum wind speed near the centre was about 140 kilometre per hour. It was about 300 kilometres east of Rangoon in the Bengal Bay and expected to move ashore in the afternoon.

The office warned that influence of the storm would lead to torrential rains in several northern provinces, including the western part of Tak, Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai and Lampang.

Chiang Mai Governor Suwat Tantipat ordered provincial officials to be on alert on the 24-hour basis to provide immediate help to people who may be affected by flash floods.

-- The Nation 2006-04-29

[astral]

Cyclone............?

It may be a heavy storm, but these thinks have lost there real punch by the time they have crossed the land to reach Chiang Mai.

Mind you they can still drop large amounts of rain, which will be a good thing for drought stricken areas.

[Tywais]

Guess I better check my batteries and supply of candles.

[taxexile]

it may very well be a cyclone as it hits land , but it will very soon weaken into what is known as a tropical depression. meaning a bit windy with lots of precipitaion.

Tropical Cyclone Windspeed Scale

Strength Category 1 Minute Maximum Sustained Winds

knots mph km/hr

Tropical Depression TD <34 <39 <63

Tropical Storm TS 34-63 39-73 63-118

Hurricane Cat 1 64-82 74-95 119-153

Hurricane Cat 2 83-95 96-110 154-177

Intense Hurricane Cat 3 96-113 111-130 178-210

Intense Hurricane Cat 4 114-135 131-155 211-250

Intense Hurricane Cat 5 >135 >155 >250

go to

http://tsr.mssl.ucl.ac.uk/

to find out more about this storm.

[Maejo Man]

A nice link Tax. They have classed it as a category 4 intense hurricane currently, but the 24 hour forecast is for a tropical stotm. Still nasty enough to drop a ton of rain. Just as well the fridge is well stocked

[bubba]

I'm just hoping that this is not a repeat of last year's August and September floods that devastated parts of Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son, but it doesn't look good. I suspect that the flash floods will get worse every year so long as the Forest Department continues to allow entire mountainside to be slashed and burned to the ground, to a large extent by hilltribe villagers.

Here is another good link for tracking tropical storms:

http://www.npmoc.navy.mil/jtwc.html

[bubba]

Oh, and one more link with weather radar should you want to track the incoming rain. The Omkoi site seems to provide the best radar image for Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son.

http://www.tmd.go.th/linkframe/radar_en.html

[Ajarn]

I figure nothing is going to happen in Thailand..

[jdinasia]

flooding again along the Ping will not be a good thing

[meadish_sweetball]

Take shelter, boys and girls. I will buy myself an extra set of strings for the acoustic.... and a canoe.

[BigSnake]

YEAH, bring on the Rain, we need it. I am ready to CRAWL out of my HOLE. TO DARN HOT, Let's CHILL OUT a BIT.

[corkscrew]

YEAH, bring on the Rain, we need it. I am ready to CRAWL out of my HOLE. TO DARN HOT, Let's CHILL OUT a BIT.

I hate these things. Katrina passed over me when we were in Florida last year. F***ing scary.

[greg.d]

Please bring on the rain (for a few days at least!) it's getting pretty hot here in Mae Sot, could do with a little breeze and cooler conditions for a few days

[Maejo Man]

Chiangmai is black and cold. Just had a little over an hours steady rain, and the temperature on the porch is a chilling 25 degrees Plenty of low cloud around, but no wind, maybe it snuck past

[Tywais]

Chiangmai is black and cold. Just had a little over an hours steady rain, and the temperature on the porch is a chilling 25 degrees Plenty of low cloud around, but no wind, maybe it snuck past

Definitely cool here, had to put a shirt on. Also had to mop up water in my computer room, darn wood framed windows anyway.

[Ajarn]

To me, cold air signals weather from China, not Burma... Pretty dry at the moment, too.

I don't know shit from shinola, but I think it's passed.

[Maejo Man]

We don't get monsoons up here, but I must say it's fair pissing down at the moment, and the temperature is hovering on 25 C and I've actually had to put a shirt on

[bubba]

To me, cold air signals weather from China, not Burma... Pretty dry at the moment, too.

I don't know shit from shinola, but I think it's passed.

As of right now (17:50), it has not passed yet. Have a look at this:

http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/busi..._animated&day=1

[lmponder]

I figure nothing is going to happen in Thailand..

That is what they all said when I was in New Orleans and we all know how that went....

[jackr]

Most of the wind will be zapped by the mountains before hitting Chiang Mai.

[ThaiPauly]

We have certainly been hit by a cyclone of BUGS.. luckily the heavy rain seems to have squished many of them...just their wings remaining.. (except for the unlucky ones that crash landed in our Swimming Pool ) I suppose they just crawl offski and set up home

[Backpack_thailand]

There's been no sign of it at all here in Kan!

Could do with a few spots of the old "liquid sunshine", it's f***ing HOT here!

[jackr]

We have certainly been hit by a cyclone of BUGS.. luckily the heavy rain seems to have squished many of them...just their wings remaining.. (except for the unlucky ones that crash landed in our Swimming Pool ) I suppose they just crawl offski and set up home

I just created my own mini-cyclone by removing hundreds of the little blighters with the vacuum cleaner

[bulmercke]

Raining heavily now in Bangkok......Doa Khanong - Thung khru - Sammut Prakarn areas.....

[george]

The Nation Update:

Cyclone Mala set to strike 13 provinces

Residents warned of possible landslides and flash-flooding

Tropical cyclone Mala hit five provinces in the North and Central regions yesterday, prompting a warning from authorities.

Residents in 13 provinces have been told they could face heavy rainstorms and landslides from today until early tomorrow.

The five afflicted provinces are Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Tak, Lampang and Uthai Thani. The other eight provinces at risk are Chiang Rai, Lamphun, Sukhothai, Kamphaeng Phet, Nakhon Sawan, Kanchanaburi, Suphan Buri and Ratchaburi.

The weather bureau said the worst hit area was Mae Hong Son, which has suffered storms since Friday evening.

"Heavy rain will easily cause wild and flash-floods in certain risk areas," said Supharerk Tansrirat-anawong, director general of the Department of Meteorology.

The latest monitoring showed that the cyclone continued to grow in strength but it is expected to peak tonight before winds slow down from about 4am today.

Cyclone Mala formed in the Bay of Bengal and crossed the Burmese coast at 4pm yesterday. The storm, with maximum wind speeds of 120kph, was 500km north of Rangoon and travelling north at 10kph.

"Residents in the 13 potential afflicted provinces should closely monitor the situation through our announcements," the director general said.

Supharerk said the department had warned governors of the 13 provinces to prepare for Mala. Each governor would contact local authorities to prepare to help any villages hit by the cyclone, he said.

Residents affected by the storm could ring the department hotline 1784 to get help 24 hours a day.

At Mae Hong Son, heavy rain began on Friday evening. The local weatherman said 46.9 millimetres had fallen by 10am yesterday.

Official Khomsan Suwan-ampha of Mae Hong Son Provincial Office said he made urgent calls to seven district heads to prepare for possible landslides and flash-floods. Preparations were also being made to remove villagers to higher areas, if necessary, he said.

Chiang Mai Governor Suwat Tantiphat said he had prepared evacuation plans for villages in three districts at risk - Mae Chaem, Om Koi and Hord, which would be monitoring round the clock.

Bunkia Kunatharnkul, the senior official at Mae Chaem district, said he had been closely monitoring the amount of rain that has fallen and would announce evacuations if it reached 100 millimetres. Yang Luang village was vulnerable and had experienced two landslides recently, he said.

Kanchanaburi Governor Cherdwit Ritprasart ordered officials to prepare for the cyclone, especially in the high-risk districts of Sangkhlaburi, Srisawasdi, Thong Pha Phum and Saiyoke.

Fishermen have been told to prepare for two-metre waves in the Gulf of Thailand and the two to three metre waves in the Andaman Sea.

--The Nation 2006-04-30

[falang74]

To me, cold air signals weather from China, not Burma... Pretty dry at the moment, too.

I don't know shit from shinola, but I think it's passed.

So what's the update. the weather picture looks like it's clearing. I didn't see if anything was coming. My wife and daughter are flying into Chiang Mai day after tomorrow. Would appreciate any info.

AC

[Norfolk Tractor Boy]

Can anybody tell me is this storm likely to hit Nong Khai , north east thailand (isaan) as i have afew thousand rubber trees i'm abit concerned about?

[Diablo Bob]

When I got up at 3:00am, there was no rain here in Chiangmai, but in the last 30 minutes or so, it has started agian. Not a heavy rain, just a steady rain.

The weather maps kind of showing this storm tracking NNE, which would clear Nong Kai. BUT, storms change track and you could be hit.

So far, no torrential rains to soeak of, just a slow steady rain. Would be great for crops.......

The TV clock is saying 01:49:33 but it is actually 4:23

[bubba]

So now both the http://www.tmd.go.th and http://www.weather.go.th sites are broken. Just when they would be most valuable for monitoring the storm track, radar, and warnings.

I wonder if someone with the cyberclean thought police accidentally blocked them? :-)

[Ajarn]

I figure nothing is going to happen in Thailand..

That is what they all said when I was in New Orleans and we all know how that went....

This ain't New Orleans.

You just gotta figure out who is right and who is wrong