Severe summer storms which have battered the country this year are the result of high temperatures caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon, according to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD).
Burin Wechbunthung, deputy director-general of the TMD, said Sunday the fierce summer storms which caused extensive damage to homes in the North and Northeast were caused by persistent hot weather and high atmospheric pressure from China.
A source at the TMD said the strong influence of El Nino since 2014, compounded by the long absence of rain and low humidity this year, have led to a sweltering summer.
Storms are exacerbated by hot weather, which can bring violent seasonal thunderstorms and hail, particularly in the north and northeastern regions.
The TMD says temperatures in several provinces are higher than in previous years. The highest summer temperature so far was recorded at 44.6C in Mae Hong Son.
The mercury also topped 44C in parts of Sukhothai.
On Saturday, more than 700 houses were toppled by freak storms in nine districts of Udon Thani. In Nakhon Phanom's Muang district, Adisak Ponchaiya, a village chief of Ban Na Rat Kwai, inspected 20 houses in Moo 11 hit by seasonal storms the same day.
Roofs were peeled off and the window panes of several houses shattered. The damage will be assessed and reported to authorities so assistance can be provided to residents.
In tambon Nong Yat, storms forced workers to evacuate from the Phu Kratae Golf Club after storms ripped the branches off trees while in tambon Pho Tak, a cow died after being struck by lightning.
In Loei, Muang district chief Narong Chin-am, accompanied by provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office chief Pamuan Larbchit, inspected storm-hit areas Sunday.
A total of 183 households were damaged in the district.
Mr Narong also formally asked the provincial office to deliver help to affected residents. Soldiers from the 28th Military Circle were sent to repair houses wrecked by the storms.
Last week, a thunderstorm knocked down a large steel billboard at a public vehicle depot in downtown Nakhon Ratchasima, which is among 20 districts in the province that took a direct hit from the strong wind and rain.
According to the local disaster prevention and mitigation office, about 1,000 families bore the brunt of the storms, with widespread farmland sustaining damage from ferocious winds, while livestock was lost.
At the same time, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha had ordered authorities to produce artificial rain to fill dams for tap water production, said government spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd.
Royal Rain-Making Operations Centres nationwide were set to send up rain-making planes to fly over drought-stricken areas.
Rainmaking flights will take place around upstream dams where water will be added to them, according to Maj Gen Sansern, adding high humidity after the heavy rainfall brought on by summer storms is helpful in the rain-making operation.