People living in nine northeastern provinces of Thailand have been warned, by the Meteorological Department, to brace for heavy rain and strong winds, after level-3 tropical storm Linfa made landfall in Vietnam’s city of Quang Ngai at 10am on Sunday.

With maximum wind speeds of 75kph at its centre, and moving westward at a speed of 30kph, the storm is likely to weaken to a depression and, eventually a low pressure cell, as it sweeps across Thailand’s northeast, said the department.

The northeastern provinces facing isolated heavy rainfall and strong winds are Muk Dahan, Yasothon, Roi-et, Amnat Charoen, Nakhon Ratchasima, Surin, Buri Ram, Si Sa Ket and Ubon Ratchathani.

Meanwhile, a southwesterly monsoon, prevailing over the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand, is gaining in strength and will bring continuous rain, with isolated heavy showers, in the lower central region, including Bangkok and its vicinity, the eastern region and the upper southern region today and tomorrow.

Vessels have been advised to remain at harbor due to rough seas, with 3 metre waves in stormy areas.

The northern meteorological centre reported today that a cold front from China is moving south into upper Thailand, and this will initially bring rain followed by a drop in temperature in northern and northeastern Thailand from today until Thursday.

Kiew Mae Pan, at the peak of Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai,recorded a temperature of 9oC this morning.