Summer will officially arrive in Thailand on Sunday, with the temperature reaching 43 degrees Celsius at its highest, according to an announcement issued on Friday by the Meteorological Department.
The arrival of the hot season will coincide with the monsoon covering the upper part of the country changing its direction from northeast to southeast.
The change will result in people in the northern and northeastern regions seeing a steady increase in temperature, touching a daily peak of at least 35C in the afternoons.
However, the department said the northern and northeastern regions would face cooler weather and some fog in the morning, while even lower temperatures would be felt on the tops of mountains.
This year’s summer is expected to end in mid-May, with an approximate average temperature of 35.5C, higher than last year's 34C.
The highest temperatures will be 40–43C, with Sukhothai, Tak, Mae Hong Son and Lampang expected to be among the hottest provinces. According to the department, the highest temperature in Bangkok and its neighbouring provinces is expected to reach 38–39C.