A HUGE deluge brought the wet season to Phuket tonight, swelling canals, causing chaos on the roads and blacking out a large section of central Kathu.

Patong Hill became almost impassable as torrents swept rubble down the roads. Some local roads were also cut by swollen creeks.

But Phuket City probably felt the seasonal change more than Patong, although the southern end of Patong, around Simon Cabaret, was ripped by drains that grew rapidly into fast-flowing streams.

The residents of central Kathu became participants in Earth Hour Plus 48, involuntarily plunged into darkness by the first real deluge of the season.

The storm rose over Phuket City like a swollen blue balloon. And eventually, it burst with great force, reminding Phuket residents just what the wet season is all about.

Water, plenty of it, cleaned every vehicle on the roads and sent all but the most die-hard motorcyclists scurrying for shelter.

It also brought a dramatic break in the humidity that March usually promotes to almost unbearable levels.

The storm arrived about 6pm and by 7pm, the memories of Phuket residents did not need refreshing about how powerful a seasonal storms could be. They had just been reminded.