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HEAVY rain and waves of up to four metres is the latest forecast for Phuket, Ranong, Phang Nga, Krabi, Trang and Satun with Phuket inundated by an average 103mm fall between 7pm Thursday and 7am Friday. The outlook: serious flooding expected.
Original Report
PHUKET: An overnight deluge on Phuket with strong wind gusts and more rain forecast led to a ban on boats under 10 metres putting to sea today.
The ban was applied by Phuket Marine Office 5 director, Phuripat Theerakulpisut, in the face of serious bad weather and forecast waves of two to four metres.
Gusts of up to 45kph could make conditions difficult even for vessels larger than 10 metres.
Boats of less than 10 metres were prohibited from making trips to Phi Phi or Racha island, two popular destinations even on a wet, grey Phuket day.
Meanwhile on once-dry land, motorists faced congestion and flooded roads as the holiday island's low-lying spots disappeared beneath water yet again.
The bad weather is predicted to last for several days yet.
Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation officials are becoming increasingly concerned about landslips as earth becomes saturated.
Phuket's local councils remain on 24-hour standby for emergencies.
I'm somewhat amazed there hasn't been a major building collapse in places like Soi Nanai in Patong. Some of the places built there seem to just hang on the side of the hill. When I was in Patong many old hands who were engineers and builders working the middle east would always explain how structures were accidents waiting to happen but so far they have been lucky.
Posted by Arun Muruga on August 7, 2015 10:38