Get ready for a super-hot April. That's the warning from weather bureau, which says temperatures will hit 43-44 degrees Celsius in the North and Northeast this month.
Dr Somchai Baimuang, deputy director-general of the Meteorological Department, said last week that summer storms, with winds over 100kmh, would also be more frequent.
But the overall amount of rain would be about 10 per cent less than last year.
Temperatures were likely to peak at 43-44C during the third week of April - especially in the Central, Northeast (Isaan) and the North, Somchai said.
Mae Hong Son, Uthai Thani and Sa Kaew were most likely to face the highest temperatures and summer storms, he added.
The northern provinces of Lampang, Mae Hong Son, Lamphun, and Uttaradit, and northeastern provinces of Maha Sarakham, Udon Thani, Khon Kaen, and Chaiyaphum, were tipped to face highs of 42-43C.
Lop Buri, Suphan Buri, Prachin Buri, Ratchaburi, and Sa Kaew could experience 42C, while Bangkok was tipped to see a peak of 39C.
The department said that Uttaradit was reported as having the highest temperature in the years from 1951 and 2009: with 44.5C recorded on April 27, 1960.
Somchai warned of coming forest fires, smog, heavy rain and hail, and predicted that at the end of April a tropical cyclone would hit the west coast of southern Thailand, causing flash floods in low-lying areas.
Drought was also expected to be severe, so Somchai suggested people store rainwater, refrain from growing off-season rice and opt for annual crops such as beans.
Asked if the hot weather resulted from the El Nino phenomenon, he said that was a secondary factor. The main causes of hot weather were air mass, air pressure and storms. He said human activities that caused emissions of greenhouse gases also contributed to the problem.
