The government has established a war room to closely monitor the impact of Typhoon Noru, which is expected to hit the northeastern provinces on Thursday (Sep 29) as a tropical storm.
Noru is forecast to bring heavy rainfall to Thailand, similar to typhoon Dianmu in September of last year.
Government Spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri said the newly established unit, headed by Digital Economy and Society Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusri, will collect information about the storm, evaluate its severity and implement measures to mitigate its impact.
Chomparee Chompurat, Director-General of the Meteorological Department, said the typhoon was expected to make landfall in central Vietnam before striking Thailand as a tropical storm early Thursday morning.
Coupled with strengthening southwesterly monsoons in the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, Chomparee predicted that the storm would bring heavy rainfall to most parts of the country, including Bangkok and its surrounding provinces, from September 28 to October 1.
Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt meanwhile stated that the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is prepared for the approaching storm and has requested assistance from the city’s Drainage and Sewerage Department to bolster its flood defenses, particularly in the city’s east and along the Chao Phraya river.
Chadchart added that the BMA is now conducting a campaign to divert water away from the city’s canals to accommodate the increased rainfall. He also urged Bangkok residents to prepare for potential flooding by installing water pumps and placing sandbags around their homes. (NNT)
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