Ministry sounds alarm ahead of thunderstorm

MINISTRY of Water Resources and Meteorology on March 23 issued a thunderstorm warning for March 24-30, with showers expected to be especially heavy in central lowland areas.

The storm warning comes about after a team of meteorologists examined the evolution of the Pacific high and low pressure fronts coming from Indonesia, which are dominating some northeastern provinces and the southwestern part of Cambodia.

The weather forecasters predicted that the central lowlands and coastal areas will see rain showers to varying extents along with thunderstorms. Dangrek Mountains and the northeastern plateau will have little rainfall.

The ministry reminded residents living in the remote lowland areas to be vigilant against rainstorms and thunderstorms as they had the potential to turn dangerous in the right conditions.

Currently the weather in the coastal areas is clear with light or no winds, according to Preah Sihanouk provincial Department of Water Resources and Meteorology director Heng Sophomrith.

“But from Wednesday to Tuesday next week, sea fishermen will not be allowed to set sail far from the offshore fishing area in the outer stream into the open sea because they may face storms and big waves,” he said.

Kim Chhun, a fisherman in O’Chrov commune of Preah Sihanouk province’s Prey Nop district, told The Post on March 24 that when the weather is very gloomy the sea fishermen do not go fishing anyway.

But if the sky was clear and there was just a little rainfall, he said the villagers would still go fishing as usual without any fears.

“As usual, when the sky is clear like this – even if it rains a little bit – it is not dangerous, but we just can’t catch much fish on those days because they swim into deeper waters,” he said.