Many parts of Chiang Mai’s Muang district flooded as Ping River bursts its banks as tropical storm Noru hits Thailand

BANGKOK, Oct 3 (The Nation Thailand/ANN): An overflowing Ping River inundated many communities in Chiang Mai’s Muang district on Monday, including places like Chang Khlan, Charoen Prathet Road, Pa Phrao Nok and Wat Chaimongkol.

The Royal Irrigation Office 1 announced at 3.45am that the Ping River water level was rising due to heavy rains brought by the tropical storm Noru.

Arun Pinta, chief of the Chiang Mai Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, said the water level at the P1 station near Nawarat Bridge had risen to 4.35 metres, nearly a metre above the critical point.

“The Ping River was moving at 675.75 cubic metres per second and will likely rise further,” he said.

He said the office has deployed boats and cars to shift flood victims to the safe zone in Ban Den.

“The office and related agencies are monitoring the situation closely,” he said, adding that community leaders have been instructed to warn all riverside communities.

AFP had earlier reported that Noru hit Vietnam after slamming into the Philippines last week as a super typhoon with winds of up to 195 kph, leaving at least 10 dead and eight missing, the civil defence office said.

The typhoon was forecast to continue moving inland Wednesday, passing over Laos before hitting Thailand's northeastern Ubon Ratchathani province on Thursday and gradually weakening into a tropical depression.

Thai authorities warned of heavy rain and possible flash flooding, saying people living in high-risk areas should prepare to evacuate their homes.

Vietnam is frequently lashed by heavy storms in the rainy season between June and November, with central coastal provinces the worst affected.

Scientists have warned the storms are becoming more powerful as the world gets warmer because of climate change.