PARTS of Phuket City flooded almost to knee level when an intense storm lashed the east-coast island capital today. More storms with winds up to 35 kph and waves higher than two metres are forecast for the weekend.*

Angry shopkeepers blamed today's shock flood on the local tessaban city council for not keeping Phuket City drains properly clear.

The damage bill for flooded stores is expected to be high. One irate store owner, still mopping up late this afternoon, told Phuketwan: ''I just heard today that the council are off to visit Macau [the island destination close to Hong Kong in China, noted for its casinos].

''The money they are spending on that trip should be spent on cleaning up the canals, so they flow properly.''

Bystanders said it has been some years since there was flooding like today's deluge. Phuketwan heard reports of rats swimming through the debris, with traffic brought to a standstill and parked cars swamped with water.

The flooding centred on Yaowarat Road, Ranong Road and Phang Nga Road in Old Phuket Town, where the new fresh market premises are due to open later in August. Local seung taew buses leave from this section of Old Phuket Town to west-coast destinations.

Shops lower than the footpath suffered, while built-up stores survived. One hardware store owner was livid because his pump could not keep up with the incoming flow of water. He said: ''Lots of my metal goods and mechanical goods have been ruined.''

Another storeholder said: ''I think it happened because the tide was high at the time and the water simply backed up in all the drains. The rain kept coming solidly for about an hour.''

A source at the Phuket City tessaban council said that the existing road drains could not cope with the intense downpour. Flooding, generated by strong winds and driving rain, kept the water level rising into the early afternoon.

Motorists were well advised to steer clear of the area. The damage bill was expected to run into millions of baht from flooded shops, restaurants, and washed-out vehicles.

*The forecast for Phuket and the Andaman region is for more of the same kind of weather, through until August 19. Concerns about landslips increased with a large slide in Ranong province today that blocked the main highway.