Southern Thailand struggles with flooding

Photo: depositphotos

The situation in southern Thailand continues to worsen, and the government declared a state of emergency in Songkhla province on Tuesday, as torrential rains since the end of last week have flooded the tourist center of Hat Yai.

By far the heaviest rainfall fell in the Hat Yai area. According to meteorologists, the heaviest rainfall in the last three hundred years was recorded there. 335 millimeters of rain fell in a single day.

By midweek, muddy brown water had already flooded the ground-floor streets of residential buildings in Hat Yai. Authorities said 33 people had died across seven provinces from drowning or electrocution. The water level is expected to slowly recede by the end of the week.

Floods in Thailand have been ongoing since last week, trapping residents and tourists in their homes and hotels. Rescuers have been gradually transporting everyone to safety using boats, jet skis and military trucks. The military has even decided to deploy an aircraft carrier and many helicopters to airlift patients to hospitals.

More than 10,000 residents in Songkhla have been evacuated since last week, with university campuses and shelters providing temporary shelter. The provincial government has also set up food centers that distribute up to 20,000 food parcels a day.

Thailand experiences its heaviest rainfall every year between June and September, but experts say man-made climate change has intensified extreme weather, making it increasingly unpredictable.

Source: Aljazeera, Editorial Weathersunshine.com