Typhoon Nari is expected to weaken rapidly as it moves onshore tomorrow, but it could still bring significant rain to Thailand. (weather underground).
By Terry Fredrickson
Typical cyclone Phailin is largely gone after causing massive damage in India but few deaths. Now, the focus is shifting to Typhoon Nari which should affect Thailand by midweek.
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Goodbye Phailin, Hello Nari
A coconut-seller sits in front of his destroyed shop in Gopalpur. Cyclone Phailin caused widespread destruction along India's east coast, killing 23 people. (AFP)
Tropical cyclone Phailin, the strongest to strike India in 14 years, caused massive damage, but warning systems and government evacuation efforts were successful in keeping deaths to a minimum
As of this morning, the death toll stands at 23, far, far less than the more than 10,000 deaths recorded in a similar storm in 1999. Almost one million people waited out the storm in cyclone shelters
The Indian state of Odisha was the hardest hit and severe crop damage was said to be in the thousands of hectares The Times of India reports that more than 14,000 villages were affected in the storm-ravaged state and over two hundred thousand homes damaged.
Meanwhile, of more immediate concern to our region is Typhoon Nari. It battered the northern Phillippines on Friday, killing 13 people and leaving more than two million without power.
It is now in the South China sea, over 300 kilometres off the Vietnamese city of Da Nang where it is expected to make landfall sometime tomorrow morning. Winds are about 140 km/hour at the moment.
In an early morning report, the Thai Meteorological Department says, optimistically, that the storm is expected to weaken rapidly once in moves onshore It should enter Thailand as a tropical depression sometime Wednesday, causing an increase in rainful in Thailand's northeast and eastern regions
Depending on its path, it could be harmful or beneficial Supoj Tovichakchaikul, secretary-general of the water management agency, said he hoped that Nari would move toward the North and help fill the Bhumibol Dam in Tak, which is currently only 47% of its full capacity
But if the typhoon approaches the East and Central Plains regions it will worsen flooding and force the Pasak Jolasid Dam in Lop Buri to release more water. This would affect already at-risk areas downstream on the Pasak and Chao Phraya rivers.
Vocabulary
approach: to move closer to someone or something - เข้าใกล้
at risk: in danger - ตกอยู่ในความเสี่ยง
batter: to hit something hard many times - ตีติดต่อกัน, โจมตีติดต่อกัน
beneficial: helpful or good - มีประโยชน์
capacity: the total amount or number that can be contained - ปริมาณสูงสุดที่จะรับได้
concern: a worry - ความกังวล
crop: a plant grown for food, usually on a farm - พืชผล
cyclone: a violent tropical storm in which strong winds move in a circle - พายุหมุนไซโคลน
death toll: the number of people killed - ยอดผู้เสียชีวิต
depend on: according to; affected by things that happen - ขึ้นอยู่กับ
depression: an area where the air pressure is low, often causing heavy rain - พายุดีเปรสชัน
destruction: when something is destroyed - การทำลาย, ภาวะที่ถูกทำลาย
downstream: in the direction that a river or stream is flowing - ตามกระแสน้ำ
evacuation: moving people from a place of danger to a safer place - การอพยพ
harmful: causing damage or injury to somebody/something, especially to a person's health or to the environment - เป็นอันตราย,เป็นภัย
hectare: a unit for measuring an area of land; 10000 square metres or about 2.5 acres - 10,000 ตารางหรือ 2.471เอเคอร์
immediate: of the most importance and needed to be dealt with now - ปัจจุบัน
landfall: the place where a storm coming from the sea first hits land - การเข้าหาแผ่นดิน
massive: very large - ใหญ่มหาศาล
Meteorological Department: the government department in charge of determining what the weather will be in the future - กรมอุตุนิยมวิทยา
minimum: as small in amount or degree as necessary or possible - จำนวนน้อยที่สุด, ปริมาณต่ำที่สุด
onshore: on the land rather than at sea or in a river or lake - บนฝั่ง,บนบก
optimistic: expecting good things to happen - มองในแง่ดี
rapidly: happening quickly - อย่างรวดเร็ว
ravaged: destroyed; damaged very badly - ถูกทำลาย, เสียหาย, ถูกล้างผลาญ
region: a large area of land, usually without exact limits or borders - ภูมิภาค, ขอบเขต, แถบ, บริเวณ
release: to allow a substance to flow out from somewhere - ปล่อย
severe: very serious and unpleasant - รุนแรง
shelter: a place where people are protected from danger or bad weather; a temporary place to stay - ที่หลบภัย ที่พักชั่วคราว
significant: large or important enough to have an effect or to be noticed - ซึ่งมีความหมาย
similar: like somebody/something but not exactly the same - คล้ายกัน
tropical: relating to the hottest area of the Earth, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn - ในเขตร้อน
typhoon: a tropical storm with strong winds that move in circles - พายุไต้ฝุ่น
warning: an action or statement telling someone of a possible problem or danger - การเตือน
widespread: happening or existing in many places, or affecting many people - อย่างแพร่หลาย
