Tropical storm Noru was located over the Kham Khoen Kaeo district of Thailand’s north-eastern province of Yasothon at 4am this morning (Thursday) and has already weakened to a tropical depression, as it continues to move west by north west at about 10kph, according to the Thai Meteorological Department.

Packing wind speeds of about 55kph at its centre, the department predicts that Noru will further weaken into a low pressure cell.

The department has, however, advised people in 64 provinces across the country to brace for heavy to very heavy rainfall, which may cause flash flooding and waterway overflows, as the storm is sweeping from the north-east through the central plains and then north towards Myanmar today.

The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GITSDA) released satellite images yesterday, showing flooding in the Chi and Mun river basins covering over 65,000 hectares of land, including more than 38,000 hectares of rice fields in Si Sa Ket, Surin, Roi Et, Yasothon, Kalasin, Ubon Ratchathani, Maha Sarakham and Amnat Charoen provinces.

In Kosum Phisai district of Maha Sarakham province, the swollen Chi River broke through an embankment in a village, inundating more than 160 hectares of farm land.

One of the affected villagers complained that he has not yet harvested, as water poured into his rice field and ruined the crop.

Maha Sarakham Governor Kiattisak Thongsri said yesterday that the provincial administration has set up a flood situation centre, to assess the flooding and prepare manpower and equipment to help affected villagers.

He said, however, that people living along the river have been warned in advance to move their valuables to higher ground as a precaution.