Weather men say lie low as freak storms sweep by

It advised remaining indoors and avoiding big trees, billboards, unsecured buildings and electrical conductors. Wind and waves in the Gulf are rising, and ships are advised to proceed with caution and small boats to keep inshore.

Summer thunderstorm yesterday afternoon damaged 57 houses in Kanchanaburi's Muang district and the gusts were so mighty that it blew a water tank on Ban Nam Sab's tap water twoer onto a nearby tamarind tree's top.

Local officials were yesterday dispatched to assist residents on two villages in Mukdahan's Dong Luang district where 44 homes were damaged by summer thunderstorm.

In Ubon Ratchathani, thunderstorms ravaged seven villages in Khemarat district on Friday night, causing damage to 14 houses worth Bt1 million. Falling trees damaged electricity poles causing blackouts until 10am yesterday. District chief Wattana Putthichat urged locals to strengthen their homes as the weather bureau warned of thunderstorms in the lower Northeast until next week.

In Surin's Prasat district thunderstorms damaged 30 homes on Friday night, blowing tin roofs into fields 500 metres away and bringing down fruit trees. A flying roof caused leg injuries to 71-year-old Roj Nooprakhon and his 67-year-old wife Jit, both of whom are being treated at Prasat Hospital.

Kalasin province has set up a 24-hour centre to tackle thunderstorms and alert residents in all its 18 districts. Govenor Decha Tantiyawong paradoxically reported a drought that has half-emptied 18 medium-sized reservoirs and Lampao Dam, hitting 15,000 rai of farmland.

Agriculture Minister Theera Wongsamut yesterday said special centres had been set up to assist farmers affected by drought nationwide. He has sent inspectors-general and Agriculture Extension Department chiefs to visit hard-hit areas and appealed to provincial royal irrigation chiefs to provide farmers with water.

The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department estimates that drought this year will affect 12-13 per cent of all Thai villages, less that last year's 15 per cent.