Bangkok: The Meteorological Department has announced that Thailand has officially entered the winter season in 2024, with the transition occurring on November 3. This shift comes approximately two weeks later than usual, attributed to a storm forming in the Pacific Ocean and making its way into the South China Sea, resulting in rainfall in some regions. Notably, this year’s winter is expected to be colder than last year.

According to Thai News Agency, the announcement highlights the cold weather’s spread across Thailand, particularly affecting the North and Northeast regions since October 29, where temperatures have dropped to below 23 degrees Celsius. The cold front has also extended to the Central and Eastern parts of the country. The atmospheric changes include a shift in winds to northeasterly or easterly at altitudes below 3,500 meters and westerly winds above 5,000 meters. Concurrently, the frequency of rainfall has been on the decline, indicating the full onset of winter as of November 3, 2024.

Mr. S
omkuan Tonjan, Director of the Weather Forecasting Division, explained that the delay in the winter season’s start is linked to the storm activity in the Pacific Ocean. Despite this, early November will still see some rain in the northern parts of Thailand due to moisture brought by the east and southeast winds. In contrast, the southern regions should brace for increased rainfall, with predictions of heavy to very heavy rain, particularly throughout November and December 2024.

This winter season is anticipated to be colder than the previous year, with minimum temperatures projected to drop even further, reaffirming the expectation of a chillier winter in 2024 compared to 2023.