BANGKOK, Thailand – Bangkok residents were startled Thursday afternoon when heavy rain lashed several districts accompanied by hail, a rare sight during the rainy season, with people in Ratchadapisek, Chatuchak, Lat Phrao and Chokchai 4 posting photos and clips of the ice pellets online.

Samut Songkhram on Flood Alert as Bangkok’s Waters Recede

Somkuan Tonjan, director of the Aeronautical Meteorology Division at the Thai Meteorological Department, said hail typically forms in summer storms, but Thursday’s outbreak was fuelled by towering cumulonimbus clouds, strong moisture-laden southwesterly monsoon winds and high temperatures. Inside those deep clouds, powerful updrafts lift water droplets into sub-zero layers where they freeze; the ice pellets cycle upward, gathering more moisture until they grow too heavy for the updrafts and fall as hail.

Somkuan said late-season hail is uncommon, and Thursday’s storm was far milder than typical summer events. He also warned people not to eat the fallen hail, noting it can trap airborne dust, chemicals and pollutants during cloud formation.

Bangkok Braces for Fresh Downpours and Possible Flooding from 5-10 October

The department expects light-to-moderate afternoon showers in Bangkok through 4 October as moist winds linger, with some areas possibly seeing more than 35mm of rain. Downpours should pass quickly rather than stall as they did in previous weeks.

-Thailand News (TN)