Flash floods have hit several areas of Phuket in Thailand, following heavy overnight rainfall.
All three districts of the southern island province, including the capital Phuket City, have been affected.
Water levels began to recede by late morning on Monday (26 October), but some low-lying areas of the tourism hotspot remained flooded. Small vehicles were advised to avoid those areas, according to Provincial Deputy Governor Romdon Hayiawae.
About 100 households were affected, but there were no reports of casualties, Romdon said, as reported by The Associated Press.
On the Beach Director of Cruise Si Morris-Green, who is currently on a family holiday on Phuket Island, told Travel Gossip they had woken this morning to power cuts and flash flood warnings from the Government.
“We were in Patong and Kamala yesterday just a few hours before it happened, we have had 50cm of rain in a few hours,” he said. “We are staying in Bangtao Beach, which got hit last night, but not like Patong and Kamala. Water was knee-deep here until around midday today.”
In a post on Facebook, Si shared images of the destruction caused by the extreme weather (pictured above), and added: “All of the wonderful places we visited yesterday were hit with devastation last night.
“Thoughts are with those affected, we are safe and hopefully the floods will go as quickly as the rain came.”
The Thai Meteorological Department has warned of heavy and continuous rain in the southern region until Wednesday (28 October), raising the risk of further flash floods and landslides.
Some parts of the province were also hit by mudslides, with officials working to clear debris to prevent it from entering canals and obstructing waterways.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand advised visitors that heavy rainfall has caused temporary waterlogging on some roads in Phuket, which may affect local journeys.
A statement on the organisation’s Facebook page said: “Phuket International Airport remains open and fully operational.
It follows severe flooding that affected Thailand’s capital, Bangkok, last month.
