The Meteorological Department has issued another warning of heavy to very heavy rain until Sunday for most parts of the country, including Bangkok.
It said that this is the result of a strong low-pressure cell moving from the eastern region over the southern northeastern region and the central plains, including Bangkok, along with the monsoon trough which is passing through northern Thailand.
The department advises people living at foothills and in low-lying areas to brace for flash floods, forest runoffs and river overflows. Seafarers are strongly advised not to navigate into stormy areas because the strong winds and high waves in both the Gulf and the Andaman Sea.
Relentless heavy rains have already lashed several eastern provinces, resulting in river overflows in Rayong. Sa Kaeo and Prachin Buri provinces.
In Rayong, Pluak Daeng rescue workers helped save seven pigs struggling in flood water. They said some of the pigs were panicking and had to be led one by one to safety. A houseowner said that the flood came so fast that the pigs were almost drowned. He added that most of the electrical appliances in the house, such as rice cooker, refrigerator and a washing machine, were flooded and damaged.
In Sa Kaeo, the irrigation office increased the discharge of excess water to five million cubic metres per day from the reservoir to ease pressure on the structure.
In Prachin Buri, people in the 100-year-old Talad Gao community said that, because the water retention area was reduced, overflows from the Prachin River poured into the community easily and the ill remain there for a long time.
Meanwhile, the Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) released satellite images of flooded areas across the country. The images show that the high-risk areas are expanding causing serious concern. These now include Nakhon Sawan, Phichit, Phetchabun, Lop Buri, Saraburi, Pathum Thani, Nonthaburi and some parts of Bangkok.
GISTDA said that satellite information and images are vital in the assessment of the direction of the flow of water, which will help in water management. It advises people living in the at-risk areas to monitor the water situation closely.
