The rainy season will officially begin on Thursday, May 15, the Meteorological Department announced.
Director-general Sukanyanee Yawinchan said on Tuesday that the wet season’s official start was dependent on the following three conditions:
Continuing rain over 60% or more of the North, Northeast, Central Plain and East regions, a southwesterly wind at an altitude of about 1.5 kilometres and an easterly at the higher altitude of 10 kilometres.
Ms Sukanyanee said less rain was expected this wet season than fell last year, but still about 5% higher than the seasonal average. Even so, there could be a shortage of water for irrigation in some areas.
Rainfall would decline in the North, Northeast and upper Central Plain from June to mid-July and then increase again from August to October.
There would be a few tropical storms affecting the North and Northeast, but no repetition of the severe flooding in 2011, she said.