Pattaya braced for the remnants of super typhoon Noru, with city officials claiming they are ready to handle the inevitable flooding.
The Thai Meteorological Department said Monday evening that Noru was moving from the center of the South China Sea to make landfall in central Vietnam on Wednesday. On Thursday, it is expected to head to the northeast of Vietnam before weakening into a tropical storm and depression.
Noru, teamed up with the strengthening southwest monsoon prevailing over the Andaman Sea, Thailand the Gulf of Thailand, will bring heavy to very heavy rain and gusty winds to the North, Northeast, Central East and South from Wednesday to Saturday.
The department also forecast 2-3-meter-high waves from Wednesday to Saturday in the Andaman Sea and upper Gulf, which will become higher under thundershowers.
Pattaya Mayor Poramet Ngampichet said Monday that he had ordered city workers to observe and monitor the volume of rainfall in the area, which began Tuesday.
Pattaya will flood if more than 70 millimeters of rain fall over several hours, he admitted.
City workers began checking all pumps around the city Monday.
Rescue units can be called at 064-642-6488 or of the 1337 call center hotline. Other city workers will be deployed to common flood zones to keep traffic moving and clear breakdowns.