The hot season in Thailand is nearing the end and the country is approaching the rainy season, which is expected to officially begin in mid-May, the Thai Meteorological Department said.

The department's spokesman said the hot season in Thailand in fact reached its peak on April 15 when the temperature was measured at a record 44.6°C in Tak province.

The department is expected to announce the end of summer and the beginning of the rainy season in the middle of next month.

The department had forecast that during this weekend the daily heat index -- what the temperature feels like to the human body when humidity is combined with the air temperature -- would be at a dangerous level - at 54°C or over - in Bang Na district in Bangkok, Sattahip district in Chon Buri, and Phuket.

The heat indices in these places are usually higher than other areas in the hot season because they are located near the sea and have a higher level of moisture.

If the air temperature is higher than 40°C, the heat index can be 45°C or higher, a level which can cause people to faint or be hit by heatstroke.