In Chaiyaphum’s Ban Khwao and Chatturat districts, 200 homes, farmlands and other structures damaged in the ‘worst hail storm in a decade’ yesterday, while toppled power poles also led to blackouts in Tambon Nong Bua Ban. This storm was the fourth since last week. The province’s 15 districts so far have seen over 1,000 homes damaged totally.

“It was the worst storm in a decade with heavy downpours and hail punctuating and blowing away roof tiles of Vihara, pavilion, and monks’ living quarters,” recalled Wat Nikhomwanaram abbot assistant Luangpor Baidika Supatthanapong.

Resident Mak Hanrob, 87, whose house roof was totally blown away in minutes, said it was the worst storm he’d ever seen.

Chaiyaphum governor Chusak Trisarn has instructed local officials to aid the affected and repair the electricity system.

In Nakhon Ratchasima’s Sikhiu district, 41 homes were damaged in a storm on Tuesday, including a Bt3-million ewly-complete Thai traditional house.

Chief Petty Officer 1st Class Warong Panyatharak, 48, was found dead in his residence within Chon Buri’s Sattahip Navy Base yesterday. A friend, chief petty officer 1st class Jongsurin Wongjoy, suspected that Warong, who was already unwell, might have been fatally shocked by the 40 degrees Celsius heat.

On the other side of the Mekong River, storms have battered several provinces in Laos since the Lao New Year (Pi Mai Lao) holiday ended in the middle of the month. The fence surrounding Sikhottabongstupa in Thakaek district, Khammuan province, came down in high winds on Tuesday.

“On my way home, after the rain had stopped, I saw that some houses had no roofs and some trees had been toppled by heavy winds, but there may be more damage in remote areas,” a resident of Phonsa-at village in Thakhaek said.

On Friday and Saturday, scores of roofs on houses and schools were damaged when storms hit, especially in Nongbok and Yommalath districts of Khammuan.

In Luang Prabang province, three people are known to have died since Friday after storms hit several parts of the province.

One person on a boat died when the craft sank while it was moored on the Mekong riverbank in Luang Prabang; another person was electrocuted in Pakxaeng district when a tree branch toppled an electricity pole, and another died in Ngoy district after being struck by lightning.