CHAI NAT - Seven provinces in the Central Plains have been warned of possible riverside flooding as the Royal Irrigation Department (RID) increases the rate of discharge from the Chao Phraya dam in Chai Nat.
The warning was issued by Suchart Chareonsri, director of the Regional Irrigation Office 12 in Chai Nat, to the governors of Chai Nat, Uthai Thani, Sing Buri, Lop Buri, Ang Thong, Suphan Buri and Ayutthaya.
A week of heavy rains upstream of the Chao Phraya dam has increased the volume of water flowing to the dam. The flow of Chao Phraya River recorded at Jiraprawat army camp in Nakhon Sawan was 1,136 cubic metres (cu/m) per second.
Swollen by heavy rain, the river was 16.75 metres above mean sea level.
Citing the Meteorological Department, the office said more heavy rain was expected from Friday to Monday and this would require further discharges from the dam. The rate was recently increased to 850 cu/m per second, resulting in a rise in water levels downstream.
People downstream were advised to keep monitoring water reports from authorities. The dam was likely to increase the discharge rate to 1,500 cu/m per second on Saturday so as to cope with a huge volume of water from the North.
Chai Nat, Sing Buri, Ang Thong and Ayutthaya would experience a 1-1.2 metre rise in the river level. Riverside communities in Ayutthaya, particularly in tambon Bang Luang Dod of Bang Ban district and tambons Ban Krathum and Hua Wiang of Sena district, should move their belongings to higher ground, the warning said.
The Meteorological Department forecast is for thundershowers and heavy rain over the country on Friday, with some torrential downpours.
On Friday, 70% of people in the North, the Northeast and the Central Plains could expect rain, and 80% in the East.
Rains would cover 80% of the South’s west coast and 60% of the eastern coast.
Bangkok and vicinity would experience rain over 70% of the area.
From Friday to Tuesday, an active low pressure area moving to the Gulf of Tonkin, upper Vietnam and Laos will bring more heavy rain to Thailand.