The Office of the National Water Resources (ONWR) has warned that heavy to very heavy rain will continue across parts of upper Thailand through July 8, raising risks of flash floods, forest runoff and landslides as a monsoon trough and a relatively strong southwest monsoon affect the country.
The ONWR said the monsoon trough extends across the upper North and upper Laos and is linked to severe tropical storm Maysak, while a strong southwest monsoon prevails over the Andaman Sea, Thailand and the Gulf of Thailand.
Heavy to very heavy rain is forecast in parts of the upper North and upper Northeast through July 9, though rainfall is expected to ease in the Central, Eastern and Southern regions.
Sixteen provinces remain under heavy-rain monitoring through July 8: Tak, Mae Hong Son, Chiang Rai, Nan, Phayao, Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Chanthaburi, Trat, Kanchanaburi, Chumphon, Ranong, Phangnga, Phuket, Trang and Satun.
Residents in vulnerable areas were urged to watch for flash floods, forest runoff, landslides, and urban flooding, as drainage systems may be overwhelmed.
The ONWR also said three northern reservoirs -- Mae Ngat, Kiu Lom and Mae Chang -- are above maximum storage levels, while 33 medium-sized reservoirs nationwide are above 80% capacity or exceeding thresholds.
Separately, marine and environmental expert Thon Thamrongnawasawat said Super Typhoon Bavi, the strongest storm of the year, reflects a trend towards more powerful cyclones amid global warming and El Niño.
He said unusually warm seas are allowing cyclones to intensify more easily, noting that the strongest typhoons on record occurred within the past 12 years, reflecting rising global temperatures.
