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There is a risk that more storms will hit Thailand in the near future.

"On average, the country used to face just a few storms each year. But it may not be like that anymore," Meteorological Department directorgeneral Suparerk Tansriratanawong said yesterday, adding that there had been signs of abnormal weather conditions.

"The longer a storm hovers over a sea, the more powerful it becomes," Suparerk said.

During the past weekend, Cyclone Nargis swept through Burma, killing thousands.

Though Suparerk said no cyclone has hit Thailand over the past several decades, he vowed that his department would closely monitor the weather and issue warnings well in advance.

"We should be able to issue a warning about a week beforehand," he said.

Dr Sathon Vijarnvannalak, a physicist at the Chulalongkorn University, said Bangkok residents must be extra careful during storms and avoid the many advertising billboards and trees around the town.

"There is a growing risk that Bangkok will have to brave more storms," he said.

Temperatures used to be over 35 degrees Celsius for just 60 days each year in Bangkok, but over the past four or five years, the number of hot days has risen to 120 annually, he said.

"More hot days mean more storm risks," Sathon said.

The Nation