PHUKET: Heavy rains last night (30 October) caused minor flooding across Phuket after heavy rains on Friday and Saturday.
About 70 mm of rainfall flooded Phuket Town late last night, causing minor flooding of roads in the center of Phuket Town and minor flooding of several houses in Samkong.
Concerns were raised as water levels in the Bang Yai Canal reached the embankment again, but water levels stabilized and dropped to safe levels shortly after the rain stopped.
Kamala-Patong Rd was also hit by a small landslide. Local government officials and disaster officers were dispatched to clear the roads of debris. A power pole fell down on a slide. People were asked to prepare for a sudden power outage as repairs were being made.
A small retaining wall in front of Wat Het Ho in Kathu collapsed after heavy rain on Saturday night. Workers were dispatched to the area to clear the debris and ensure the rest of the retaining wall was safe.
Motorists are asked to exercise caution while driving in both the Kamala and Kathu regions.
Authorities have not made any announcements about whether traffic will continue to be allowed over Patong Hill. At this stage the road is open to motorcycles only.
I’ve been asked to check with the local police station to see if any missing license plates have been found, including one lost at the Heroines Monument intersection.
Anyone who believes they have lost their license plate in the flood waters across the road in front of Blue Tree Phuket in Chang Talaya is asked to contact the main gate at the entrance to the water park.
Cloudy skies and a passing thunderstorm are forecast for 60% of the area today.
There are currently no weather warnings in effect for the region. The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) reports that winds are mild and waves in the area average 1 meter in height, reaching more than 1 meter in thunderstorm areas.
More passing thunderstorms are forecast throughout the week, easing further by Thursday and Friday, but thunderstorms likely by next weekend.
TMD on Saturday announced that winter has officially begun. This marks the onset of cold weather across the country, especially in the north.
In the Andaman region, the announcement also marks the beginning of the return of the northeast monsoon, which usually brings clear end-of-year weather after the transition from the southwest monsoon is over.
