BANGKOK: Tropical Storm Wipha has caused deadly floods and landslides across Thailand since last month, claiming six lives and affecting over 230,000 people, according to disaster management officials.
Since July 21, torrential rain has flooded 12 provinces—mainly in the northern and central regions—Thailand’s Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department reported.
“We are actively monitoring the effects of rainstorm Wipha and working with affected provinces to provide aid to those impacted,” the agency said in a statement posted on its official Facebook page.
Photos shared on social media show muddy floodwaters, sandbags piled around homes, and residents paddling through inundated streets in plastic boats.
Thailand’s Meteorological Department forecasts that rainfall will subside in the coming days.
Though the country typically endures seasonal monsoon rains from May to October, scientists warn that human-driven climate change is intensifying weather patterns, increasing the risk of severe flooding.
In 2011, widespread floods across Thailand killed more than 500 people and destroyed millions of homes nationwide.
