Flash floods warning in seven southern Thai provinces

BANGKOK, November 22 (TNA) - The Meteorological Department has issued a warning on possible flash floods for people in seven southern Thai provinces, as runoffs hit Phatthalung Province overnight, forcing an immediate evacuation of affected villagers. The Meteorological Department, southern centre for east-coastal areas, said on Tuesday that people in seven southern provinces facing the Gulf of Thailand, including Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat, should brace for heavy downpours and possible flash floods from November 22-26. Meanwhile, Phatthalung's Sri Banphot District was hit by powerful flash floods late on Monday night, prompting provincial authorities to have been on high alert for possible landslides and local villagers to have left their houses for temporary shelters as a precaution. According to Sri Banphot District Chief Somwang Ruangpeng, who has surveyed damages caused by the flash floods, the runoffs rose to some 70 centimetres on Monday night, submerging at least 400 houses and 5,000 rai or about eight square kilometres of farmlands. The district chief said that he has ordered his subordinates to distribute relief packs to the affected people and to arrange for sufficient temporary shelters for the evacuees. In Songkhla, the Hat Yai Municipality has raised warning signs and flags on 17 locations along the U-tapao and Rabai Nam 1 Canals, following two-day continual downpours with water levels of both canals having risen but having remained within their safety extents. (TNA)