THAILANDIA : Eccezionale ondata di mal tempo.

Eccezionale ondata di mal tempo in Thailandia, in un periodo che dovrebbe essere il migliore dell'anno. A Samui aeroporto chiuso i traghetti non partono per le forti piogge, sud Thailandia tutto sotto acqua si parla di miglioramento da giovedì. Bangkok potrebbe arrivare alla temperatura di 19 gradi, mentre anche il sud potrebbe vedere le temperature scendere fino a 22 gradi. Ad Oriente del paese, il valore minimo è previsto che vanno da 18-20 gradi. Nella provincia nord-orientale di Nakhon Ratchasima, il termometro è sceso a soli 16,1 gradi ieri. Pensiri Trisat, un meteorologo del Nord, ha detto che i termometri hanno misurato solo 7,8 gradi sulla Doi Inthanon a Chiang Mai. 'L'ondata di freddo continuerà probabilmente fino alla fine del mese', ha detto. Un ufficio meteorologico del nord ha dprevisto che la stagione calda tornerà all'inizio del mese prossimo e si avranno dai 39 ai 40 gradi. 'Sarà quindi molto caldo come ogni estate.' 17 aprile è previsto come il giorno più caldo dell'anno.

Flood situation gets worse in mid-South Flooding in the South has stalled services at Nakhon Si Thammarat and Samui airports. Thousands of passengers were stranded on Koh Samui in Surat Thani province yesterday, while Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport has been closed since Sunday. Tourists on the island of Samui had completely lost access to the mainland as of press time because ferry services were also suspended. As the severe flooding raged on in the South, the death toll rose to nine. Flood waters are now wreaking havoc in the provinces of Chumphon, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Trang, Krabi and Phatthalung. PM's Office Minister Satit Wongnongtaey, who chairs a committee on flood-relief operations, yesterday told inhabitants and authorities in Phang Nga and Phuket provinces also to brace for possible flooding, with heavy downpours expected to continue in the South until tomorrow. "We are paying great attention to landslide risks. People in risky areas have already been evacuated,"the minister said. There are 28 landslide-prone spots in Phatthalung alone. In the wake of the serious flooding, Nakhon Si Thammarat Governor Thira Mintarasak said he had declared the whole province a disaster zone. "The situation is worrying. I have instructed rescue workers to help get the sick, the elderly, pregnant women, children and those with disabilities out of risk areas first," he said. Flood water was still more than 1 metre deep at various spots in Nakhon Si Thammarat yesterday. Transport Minister Sophon Saram told the Cabinet that although the water level at Nakhon Si Thammarat Airport had dropped, it was still raining in the locality. He said officials would have to check infrastructure at the airport before deciding whether it was safe to resume services. Civil Aviation Department director-general Somchai Janrod said the water level at the airport had fallen from 50 to 20 centimetres. "We have assigned officials to clean and clear the runaway and taxiway," he said. He added that it would, however, take at least a week to check the electrical system because the power supply had been cut at the airport. The situation in other parts of Nakhon Si Thammarat province is also serious. "This is the worst flooding in three decades," said Tha Sala Hospital director Kitti Rattanasombat. He said his hospital had already transferred more than 30 inpatients to another medical facility because of the rising flood water. Kitti added that the flooding had caused about Bt40 million in damage to medical equipment and a power generator. Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said the floods had also ravaged 10 other hospitals in the South. He said there were now eight confirmed deaths, seven of them in Nakhon Si Thammarat and the other in Surat Thani. However, locals in Phatthalung reported a ninth death, that of seven-year-old Zordeeleen Senkliang. To date, 13 districts of Surat Thani have been declared disaster zones, with the inundation having damaged four bridges, 11 roads and two temples. Education Minister Chinnaworn Boonyakiat said the flooding had damaged 613 schools in Trang, Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani, Songkhla and Phatthalung. Bangkok Airways cancelled all 36 domestic and international flights in and out of Samui yesterday, due to the severe thunderstorms hitting the island and the surrounding area. It said affected passengers should contact its ticketing office to rebook their flights at no additional charge. Meanwhile, just as the floods have been raging in the South, Satit said 47 other provinces were suffering from drought.