People along the Kolok River in Narathiwat have been advised to watch out for possible flash floods as heavy rain continues to hammer the southern border province.
The water level of the river has been rising quickly, by about five centimetres an hour since Wednesday, and was less than one metre below the bank on Saturday afternoon. The situation has alarmed authorities, who expect to see inundation of riverside areas in Waeng, Sungai Kolok and Tak Bai districts.
The provincial irrigation office on Saturday issued a warning to other agencies in Narathiwat to advise residents in the three border districts to prepare to move to higher ground to escape imminent flooding if the rain shows no signs of stopping.
The Southern Meteorological Centre in Songkhla province forecast that rain would continue in Narathiwat and six other provinces — Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phattalung, Songkhla, Pattani and Yala — until Tuesday, with flash floods and water runoff possible during the period.
Narathiwat was severely flooded in December last year with all districts declared disaster zones after weeks of downpours in the province.