PHUKET: An aircraft due to land in Had Yai today was diverted to Phuket International Airport when the vestiges of a Philippines killer storm lashed Thailand's southern provinces.
Forecasts so far show that Phuket is likely to escape severe weather leading up to Christmas Day. But apart from saying that for sure there will be no snow, predictions remain difficult with a severe storm in the region.
A meteorologist in the Phuket weather bureau office said tonight there was a 10 percent to 30 percent chance of rain on Phuket for Friday and Saturday, with Sunday too far off yet for a precise forecast.
Not everyone has so far escaped the bad weather. The 172 passengers on TG 231 from Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok faced a long bus ride back to Had Yai from Phuket.
In the Philippines, tropical storm Washi has killed more than 1000 people in flash floods in the southern ports of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro. ''It was as if the cities were hit by an inland tsunami,'' said one official.
Phuket and Andaman coast people, remembering the effects of the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004, have reason to be grateful, and to give generously.
North Pole sources tell us that regardless of the weather, Santa will be flying.
Forecasts so far show that Phuket is likely to escape severe weather leading up to Christmas Day. But apart from saying that for sure there will be no snow, predictions remain difficult with a severe storm in the region.
A meteorologist in the Phuket weather bureau office said tonight there was a 10 percent to 30 percent chance of rain on Phuket for Friday and Saturday, with Sunday too far off yet for a precise forecast.
Not everyone has so far escaped the bad weather. The 172 passengers on TG 231 from Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok faced a long bus ride back to Had Yai from Phuket.
In the Philippines, tropical storm Washi has killed more than 1000 people in flash floods in the southern ports of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro. ''It was as if the cities were hit by an inland tsunami,'' said one official.
Phuket and Andaman coast people, remembering the effects of the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004, have reason to be grateful, and to give generously.
North Pole sources tell us that regardless of the weather, Santa will be flying.
Calling this storm a tsunami is beyond tasteless and is a sad testament to the lengths the amoral editor of this publication will go to in order to achieve more page hits on his site. Disgusting is too mild a term to describe this practice that the editor repeatedly stoops to. He should be ashamed.
Posted by Giovanni on December 23, 2011 04:27
Editor Comment:
We didn't liken the storm to a tsunami, a United Nations official in the Philippines did, and that official was quoted by international news agencies, the Washington Post, Aljazeera, the Christian Science Monitor and other reputable, reliable news outlet around the world. Merry Christmas, Giovanni.