40 000 people affected, 4 000 houses damaged as heavy monsoon rains hit wide swaths of northern Thailand

Heavy monsoon rains have been lashing wide swaths of northern Thailand since August 20, 2020. 4 000 homes were damaged, 40 000 people affected and more than 1 000 displaced.

Authorities reported that flooding has affected 382 villages in 25 districts in eight provinces, namely Nan, Phrae, Chiang Mai, Lampang, Phayao, Uttaradit, Lamphun, and Mae Hong Son.

More than 4 000 damaged houses were reported across the provinces of Nan, Phrae, Chiang Mai, and Lampang. 

Heavy rains also lashed wide areas of crops. Almost 40 000 people have been affected and 1 065 have been displaced. 

In Nan, a river broke its banks, killing one person. The Yom River overflowed as well, sending floods across areas of Muang and Sung Men districts. A landslide was reported in Muang Mae Hong Son district.

According to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, the severe weather was caused by a monsoon trough over the northern and northeastern regions, accompanied by a storm prevailing across the upper Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand.

In early August, Thailand was hit by Tropical Storm "Sinlaku", which flooded thousands of houses in 18 provinces.

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