Depression 'durian' Passes Thailand, No Damage Reported

[george]

Depression 'Durian' passes Thailand, no damage reported

BANGKOK: -- Depression "Durian", a tropical storm with wind speeds of 50 kilometres per hour, crossed Thailand's southern region and entered Andaman sea on Thursday morning.

Gulf of Thailand seas have returned to normal. There are no unusually high waves, and rainfall has decreased in the southern provinces.

Heavy rains hit Chumphon, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Surat Thani, and Ranong after the Depression Durian made its landfall Wednesday afternoon.

Surat Thani governor Niwat Sawatkaew said no residents or tourists were injured by the storm.

Thailand's weather service cancelled its earlier warnings, and fishing trawlers and tourist shuttle boats resumed operations as usual.

In Chumphon, the situation has returned to normal, but there is still unseasonal rainfall in some areas. In Prachuap Khiri Khan, the overnight rain triggered flash flooding in Bang Saphan district.

Some houses and farmland have been under water. Officials have worked to extend waterways to release flood into the sea.

Meanwhile, in the northern provinces, temperatures dropped by one to two degrees Celsius with the lowest temperature at 15 degrees Celsius.

--TNA 2006-12-07