Weather tracker: Monsoon brings severe flooding to southern Thailand

Torrential rainfall driven by north-east monsoon displaces thousands of people as buildings collapse

Southern Thailand is grappling with severe flooding as torrential rainfall, driven by the north-east monsoon, continues to affect the region. During the north-east monsoon, which runs from November to March, winds from the north-east pick up moisture from the Gulf of Thailand and deposit it as heavy rain across the islands in the gulf and into exposed eastern parts of Thailand's southern peninsula.

While high rainfall totals in southern Thailand are not unusual at this time of year, this year's has been significantly above average. Ko Samui, Thailand's second largest island, has recorded 571mm (22.48in) of rain this month - approximately 375% of the December average - with nearly a third of the month yet to go. In the nearby province of Nakhon Si Thammarat on the mainland, another weather station has surpassed 1009mm, more than four times the December norm.