Fierce summer storms pounded three northern provinces — Phayao, Uttaradit and Phitsanulok — damaging more than 250 houses on Friday and early Saturday, as the weather office issued a storm warning for upper Thailand.
In Phayao, a violent storm hit five tambons — Fai Kwang, Wiang, Mae Lao, Thung Phasuk and Romyen — in Chaing Kham district at about 7.25pm on Friday.
Many houses in 15 villages across the five tambons were damaged. The storm blew away roofing sheets on some houses. Nobody was injured.
The storm caused damage to about 250 houses in all, and also caused a high-voltage transformer explosion in front of the Chiang Kham highway office. This created blackouts in Fai Kwang and Thung Phasuk. said Chiang Kham district chief Kanok Sriwichainant, who surveyed the damage on Saturday.
Workers from the Chiang Kham office of the Provincial Electricity Authority were expected to finish restoring power later on Saturday, he added.
The district chief said each affected household would be given 33,000 baht in public assistance for damage to their houses and 5,000 baht each for damage to rice barns or cowsheds.
Officials inspect a house in one of 15 villages affected by a fierce storm on Saturday in Chiang Kham district of Phayao. (Photo by Saiarun Pinaduang)
In Uttaradit, more than 10 houses were damaged when a storm hit tambon Tham Chalong in Muang district in the early hours of Saturday.
Most of the damage was in Nong Pai village where houses had their roofs blown off, said tambon chief Phitsanu Khruepradit, who inspected the scene on Saturday. Several big trees were uprooted by the storm that lashed the village at about 3.20am. Nobody was hurt.
In Phitsanulok,rain and gusty winds damaged more than 10 houses in Phrom Phiram district on Friday night. Metal roofing sheets blown from houses struck power lines, causing blackouts in three villages in tambon Wong Khong.
Pronchai Siripermphoonchai, chairman of the Wong Khong tambon administration organisation in Phrom Phiram district, led officials to survey damage to houses in Wong Khong, Yan Yao and Wang Madan villages.
The Meteorological Department on Saturday issued a summer thunderstorm warning for upper Thailand on Saturday and Sunday.
It said a strong high-pressure system now covers the Northeast, East, Central and lower North regions and the South China Sea, while hot conditions are likely in upper Thailand.
Outbreaks of summer storms, accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning strikes, gusty winds and hail are possible for some areas of the North, said the weather office.
Roofing sheets blown from a house in Phitsanulok hit power lines, causing blackouts in the area. (Photo by Chinnawat Singha)
