Tropical Storm Washi no threat to Thailand
Deadly Tropical Storm Washi, which devastated parts of the Philippines during the weekend, does not pose a threat to Thailand, according to the Southern Meteorological Centre (East Coast).
“It will cause just minor impacts,” the centre’s director, Wanchai Sak-udomchai, said yesterday. He said the storm was already weakening as it moved past the South China Sea.
According to the Meteorological Department, Washi has been downgraded to a tropical depression.
“It will later become just a low-pressure ridge,” Wanchai said.
He said the low-pressure ridge would not move into Thailand’s southern region.
The Weather Bureau forecast that Washi would reach Malaysia tomorrow(Dec 21).
Although Washi will not reach Thailand with any force, it will likely increase rainfall in some areas of the lower southern region between today and Thursday. The affected provinces are likely to be Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Trang.
Wanchai said the sea was rough and small trawlers should avoid going out into the Gulf of Thailand during the next one or two days.
The Weather Bureau said the waves were between two and four metres high in the lower part of the Gulf of Thailand.
