CHAINAT, 10 June 2012 – Officials have warned locals residing along downstream Chao Phraya River to beware of the impacts of continued heavy rain.
Regional Irrigation Office – Area 12 director Darongkorn Somton said on Saturday that the latest report by the Meteorological Department has indicated that a monsoon trough continues to persist over Thailand’s North, central region and Northeast while a strong southwest monsoon has been active both in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. As a result, heavy rain has remained throughout the country.
The Met Office also forecast that the monsoon trough will move to cover only the upper part of Thailand, the situation that will lead to concentrated, heavy rain in the area until next week.
It also warned that water level in rivers and other natural sources in the lower part of Thailand’s northern region and in the central region looks set to rise considerably.
After having taken these factors into consideration, the Regional Irrigation Office – Area 12 has decided to release more water from the Chao Phraya Dam to make room for more rainfall above the dam.
Accordingly, water volume in the Chao Phraya River will increase, particularly in Chainat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong and Ayutthaya provinces. Therefore, residents residing in such areas are asked to stay vigilant although the Chao Phraya is not expected to overflow its banks.
