BANGKOK, 4 September 2019(NNT) – Villagers in the northeast who are still affected by flooding due to Tropical Storm Podul must now prepare for another storm about to affect Thailand, believed however to be less severe than Podul.
The Meteorological Department’s (TMD) Director General Phuwieng Prakhammintara, has advised that a new unnamed storm which is now prevailing over Hainan province of China, is moving towards Vietnam’s coast. The storm is currently a category 2 tempest, and will be named Kajiki once it strengthens into a category 3 storm or a tropical storm.
He said villagers in the northeastern region who are just recovering from Storm Podul may well be affected by the new storm which is expected to bring 80-110 millimeters of rainfall into the area, while creating conditions not as severe as those of Tropical Storm Podul. According to the TMD’s analysis, the new storm is unlikely to cross Thailand, but rather will shift north into China’s Guangdong province north of Hainan. The general public is nevertheless advised to be cautious of possible dangers from this storm until 5th September.
The Special Water Administration Center has estimated the new storm may cause repeated flooding in the northern and northeastern regions, and has therefore ordered a reduction in the rate of water discharge from all dams, from 3-6 September 2019, with discharges downstream from the Chao Phraya Dam, to be no more than 500 million cubic meters per second in order to prevent the Chao Phraya River overflowing in Ang Thong and Ayutthaya.
Rainfall in previous days has resulted in the intake of some 2,500 trillion cubic meters of water by 38 dams across the country, especially the four in the Chao Phraya River Basin. The Royal Irrigation Department has ordered respective agencies to save this water for use in next year’s dry season and early rainy season.
Data shows there’s been a total increase of 2.5 billion cubic meters of water in 38 large dams nationwide, since 29th August this year, which has helped the water level at Mae Mok reservoir to increase beyond crisis level, but requires a close watch on Srinakarin Dam and Nong Han lake to prevent over capacity. It is expected some 2 billion cubic meters of water will flow into these reservoirs over the next 1-3 days.
Rainfall from Storm Podul has also added 744 million cubic meters of water to medium-sized dams, causing 141 reservoirs formerly holding water at less than 30 percent of their capacity to hold water now between 30-60 percent, which is well beyond crisis point. The marked increase of water in storage will serve as water sources for consumption in the next dry season.
In Uthai Thani, rainfall has added water to Tub Salao Dam which now holds a quantity equal to 36.13 percent of its 160 million cubic meter capacity, and has brought water into Huai Khun Kaew reservoir which now holds 4.24 million cubic meters of water as against its 43 million cubic meter capacity. Rainwater also helped the cultivation of vast areas of farmlands, both within and beyond irrigation service areas.
