Thailand is facing moderate El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), which is expected to worsen in November and last until next January, according to Surasee Kidtimonton, secretary general of the National Water Resources Office.
Although ENSO is currently weak, he said that it has already affected precipitation in Thailand, with total accumulated rainfall being about 14% less than normal.
Total accumulated rainfall in the central region this year is 31% less than normal and the total amount of usable water until November is estimated at 24.3 billion cubic metres, about 11.4 billion cubic metres less than last year.
He said there has been widespread rain in many parts of the country, which is expected to add about 3.1 billion cubic metres of water to the country’s reservoirs.
Surasee said that the National Water Resources Office has issued a water management plan, to cope with water scarcity and the warmer weather at the end of this year into early next, as ENSO is likely to intensify in November until January, after which it will weaken until April.
The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) is a recurring climate pattern involving changes in the temperature of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. For periods, ranging from about three to seven years, the surface waters in a large swath of the tropical Pacific Ocean warm or cool by anywhere from 1oC to 3oC either side of normal.
