March is supposed to be the hot season, but during this last week the weather in Thailand suddenly turned unseasonably cold. On Wednesday night in Pah Leurat it dipped below 15º Celsius (60º Fahrenheit), and on Thursday it never climbed above 18º Celsius (65º Fahrenheit). Most unusual. I've seen a few winter nights there below 60º, but I cannot remember a single day even in December or January when the high did not reach at least 80º. Yie is thoroughly bundled up and has kept a fire burning all night for the dogs. Brrrr!!
Some who live outside of the tropics might read these temperatures as balmy, but please bear in mind that "cold" is a relative concept, and that, as any sailor knows, at 90+% humidity even 60º Fahrenheit can feel downright chilly to anyone. Of course this is especially true for those without jackets who are unaccustomed to minimum temperatures below 75º Fahrenheit.
http://www.tmd.go.th/en/weather_report_daily.php?StationNumber=48351
http://www.arcims.tmd.go.th/dailydata/DailyMaxTemp.php
--
Multimedia >> Photos
Published: 17/03/2011
A man is tucked up at a street corner as the temperature in Bangkok dropped to 17 degrees Celsius yesterday.
A sudden drop in temperature to as low as 17C yesterday morning has prompted many people to don their cold-weather clothes. According to the Meteorological Department, the unseasonable cold snap will last until next Wednesday after which summer will set in. The chill has nothing to do with the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the weather bureau said. Photos By Post Photographers
Freezing Thailand
http://www.bangkokpost.com/multimedia/photo/227232/freezing-thailand
--
Cold weather kills old man
Published: 17/03/2011 at 03:49 PM
The cold weather has killed an 83-year-old man in Phitsanulok's Muang district, reports said.
Police found Thongsuk Boon-in lying outside a house wearing only a T-shirt and a pair of shorts with a few bottles of white liquor next to him.
The temperature in Phitsanulok province has dropped from 33 degrees Celsius to 16 degrees Celsius since Wednesday night.
According to the Meteorological Department, a nearly intense high pressure area from China is covering Thailand and the westerly trough has moved to cover the northern region.
Thundershowers, windy conditions and a drop of temperature by two to three degrees Celsius are expected in many parts of the country.
Bangkok Post : Cold weather kills old man
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breakingnews/227204/man-dies-of-cold-weather-in-phitsanulok
--
Colder weather in Thailand is caused by global warming
Published: 17/03/2011
Weather Department on Thursday said that the global warming is the major cause of dropping of temperature in Thailand.
Department's Deputy Director General Somchai Baimuang said that the cold weather is likely to continue until tomorrow.
Temperature on Thursday has dropped across the country, with that in Bangkok dropped to 19 Celcius and that in northern province of Loei went down to 6.12 Celcius (43F).
Colder weather in Thailand is caused by global warming
--
Disaster not linked to latest cold snap
Published: 18/03/2011 at 12:00 AM
The sudden drop in temperature has nothing to do with the nuclear crisis in Japan as many people fear, says the Meteorological Department.
The abrupt change from more than 30C (86F) to 17-19C (63-67) since Wednesday was caused by an intense high pressure system from China that covered Thailand, said director-general Torsak Wanitkhachorn.
The department forecasts warmer weather today. The mercury will continue to rise until a new cold spell arrives on Tuesday.
The new bout of cold weather will also be a result of high pressure from China but the drop in temperature may not be as sharp. Likewise, the next cold spell will come with rainfall but the amount will be considerably less than the current pattern.
The department yesterday reported the lowest range of temperatures at 16-18C and the highest at 26-28C, compared with a low of 25-26C and a high of 33-34C on Monday.
It warned members of the public not to panic over rumours that the colder weather was a result of the radiation crisis triggered by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
Mr Torsak said the department issued a forecast last week warning that colder weather would arrive this week.
Bangkok Post : Disaster not linked to latest cold snap
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/local/227271/disaster-not-linked-to-latest-cold-snap
