Severe flooding alert for southern provinces

Southern provinces along the Gulf of Thailand and their neighbours are bracing for the impact of torrential rain expected to pound the region until at least Saturday.
Royal Irrigation Department workers in Muang district of Songkhla have been removing trash and other objects obstructing all waterways in anticipation of floods, as heavy rain has been falling since Tuesday.
In neighbouring Phatthalung, the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office alerted 11 districts of flash floods and runoff for the next six days. Surat Thani has posted emergency numbers of the Facebook account of the provincial public relations office, and officials in Chumphon are regularly updating weather alerts for residents.
In Narathiwat, residents were urged to remain on alert for abrupt flooding and landslides.
The Meteorological Department has issued warnings about stormy weather and rough seas for 12 provinces on both coastal sides of the southern peninsula until Saturday.
Areas along the Gulf of Thailand will be affected the most as strong winds would bring rain to lash the coast, according to the weather forecast.
The Office of the National Water Resources on Thursday also warned of the rising water in the Pattani River in Yala and Pattani provinces. The level of the Kolok River, as measured at the station in Sungai Kolok, was below the river banks but it was expected to rise, it added.
Sungai Kolok is one of eight districts in Narathiwat identified by the office as an area at risk of flooding. Other at-risk districts in the region include Tak Bai also in Narathiwat, Muang in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Ranot in Songkhla and Sai Buri in Pattani.
Sungai Kolok has seen the second largest amount of rain among all districts of Narathiwat over the 24 hours to 7am on Thursday, according to provincial officials.
Jirayu Huangsap, an aide to the prime minister, said on Thursday that Premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra was anxious about the situation and had instructed all agencies in southern provinces along the Gulf of Thailand to stand by for floods.
Across the border in Malaysia’s Kelantan state, the Malaysian National Flooding Forecasting and Warning Centre anticipated nearly 20 villages in low-lying areas along the Kolok River opposite Sungai Kolok to be inundated, Bernama reported on Thursday.
The centre has warned of possible flooding from Friday to Sunday as the area has been blanketed by rain since Tuesday, the Malaysian news agency said.