Tropical Storm Noul slammed into several northeastern provinces yesterday, bringing heavy rain and triggering warnings of flash floods and landslides.
In a storm warning issued at 5pm yesterday, the Meteorological Department said Noul was battering the northeastern province of Amnat Charoen with wind speeds of up to 75kph and was moving slowly westward.
While the storm was losing strength and expected to be downgraded to a depression, not a typhoon as earlier forecast, the weather bureau warned those in its path to stay on high alert this weekend. The storm would bring heavy rain and cause runoff and landslides in vulnerable areas, it said.
People were strongly advised to stay indoors and avoid sheltering under unstable structures due to strong winds.
Heavy downpours were expected to lash all provinces in the Northeast and the East, the first two regions in the path of the storm. It would then hit the central provinces and some southern provinces including Trang and Satun.
Koh Chang in Trat province was the first to report flash flooding in two villages yesterday morning that caused damage to several hundred homes. There were no reports of injuries.
Ferry services between Koh Chang and the mainland were not disrupted.
Several northeastern provinces reported rain throughout the day and some minor flooding. Authorities were making all-out efforts to prevent economic zones from flooding.
In Udon Thani, irrigation officials were hoping the storm would fill reservoirs currently at less than 50% of capacity.