Strange weather | Bangkok Post: learning

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Cold season weather in the hot season. What's going on?

Homeless people in the Khlong Lot area in Phra Nakhon district of Bangkok curl up to keep warm in the cold weather. APICHART JINAKUL

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Strange weather

For long-time Bangkok residents, yesterday's weather was the strangest in memory.

This is the beginning of the hot season but temperatures were more then 10 degrees below normal. With a brisk wind blowing, it was very much cold season weather.

What's going on?

One popular theory going around yesterday was that the sudden weather change was somehow caused by the nuclear crisis in Japan.

Fears were real enough for the Meteorological Department to come out with a statement dismissing any connection with Japan.

The sudden drop in temperature has nothing to do with the nuclear crisis in Japan as many people fear, the department says.

The abrupt change from more than 30C to 17-19C since Wednesday was caused by an intense high pressure system from China that covered Thailand, said director-general Torsak Wanitkhachorn.

The department forecasts warmer weather today. The mercury will continue to rise until a new cold spell arrives on Tuesday.

The new bout of cold weather will also be a result of high pressure from China but the drop in temperature may not be as sharp. Likewise, the next cold spell will come with rainfall but the amount will be considerably less than the current pattern.

The department yesterday reported the lowest range of temperatures at 16-18C and the highest at 26-28C, compared with a low of 25-26C and a high of 33-34C on Monday.

It urged members of the public not to panic over rumours that the colder weather was a result of the radiation crisis triggered by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.

Mr Torsak said the department issued a forecast last week warning that colder weather would arrive this week.
 
Adapted from a story in today’s Bangkok Post.

resident – a person who lives in a particular area ผู้พักอาศัย, ผู้อยู่อาศัยในบริเวณ  ประชาชนที่อาศัยในท้องที่
memory – something that you remember from the past; the ability to remember information, experiences and people ความจำ
temperature – a measurement of how hot or how cold a place or object is อุณหภูมิ
normal – typical, usual or ordinary; what you would expect ภาวะปกติ
brisk – quick แรง, อย่างรวดเร็ว
theory – one or more ideas that explain how or why something happens สมมติฐาน
sudden – happening or done quickly and unexpectedly กะทันหัน
crisis - a situation that has reached and extremely difficult or dangerous point ช่วงวิกฤต
Meteorological Department – the government department in charge of determining what the weather will be in the future กรมอุตุนิยมวิทยา
statement – something that you say or write that gives information or an opinion แถลงการณ์, คำแถลง
dismiss – to refuse to accept that someone or something is important  ปฏิเสธ
connection – something that connects two facts, ideas, etc. รเชื่อมกัน
abrupt – suddenly and unexpected, and often unpleasant อย่างกะทันหัน
intense – very strong
pressure – a force pressing against soemthing ความกดดัน
forecast – a statement about what will happen in the future based on information available now พยากรณ์
mercury – a chemical element. Mercury is a poisonous silver liquid metal, used in thermometers ธาตุปรอท
spell – a period of time when there is a particular type of weather ช่วงเวลาที่มีอากาศลักษณะใดลักษณะหนึ่่ง
bout – a short period during which there is a lot of a particular thing, usually something unpleasant พักหนึ่ง
sharp – strong ที่รุนแรง
considerably – large in size, amount, or degree ค่อนข้างมาก
current – of the present time ปัจจุบัน
range – a number of different things that are of the same general type  ขอบข่าย, ประเภท
urge – to advise someone very strongly about what action or attitude they should take ผลักดัน, กระตุ้น
panic – a sudden strong feeling of fear or worry that causes you to be unable to think clearly or calmly ความตื่นตกใจ
rumour – a piece of information, or a story, that people talk about, but that may not be true ข่าวลือ
radiation – powerful and very dangerous rays that are sent out from radioactive substances รังสี, พลังงานจากรังสี
trigger – to cause กระตุ้น
issue – to officially announce or give out  ออก, ออกประกาศ, ออกคำสั่ง
forecast – a statement about what will happen in the future based on information available now พยากรณ์

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