Bangkok at breaking point as floods turn streets into stagnant lakes

Bangkok, accustomed to brief afternoon downpours that temporarily transform its streets into rivers, is facing an unprecedented deluge. In just two days, roughly 300mm of rain, equivalent to half a year's average rainfall in London, fell, inundating neighbourhoods and turning parts of the city into stagnant lakes. About 40 people lost their lives due to drowning and accidental electrocution.

Thousands of residents found shelter in more than 230 shelters across the city. The 73-year-old Suleemas Kurangkul, whose ground floor is still underwater, described the rain as relentless, with water rising continuously throughout the day and night. The Khlong Chan flat compound in northeast Bangkok, where Suleemas resides, has become a symbol of the disaster, with rooftops of parked cars barely visible above the water.

Despite authorities draining the worst of the water by Thursday, the smell of debris and rubbish remains strong. While Suleemas noted people's relief upon seeing sunshine, the situation still poses significant challenges. Bangkok's drainage system, built on a vast floodplain of the Chao Phraya River, relies on a network of muddy canals, pumps, and dikes.

However, concrete construction has damaged much of the canal network, leaving the city struggling to cope. The government declared a flood disaster across all 50 districts, with the situation described as dystopian in some areas. Authorities have set up a war room to monitor the situation, and a war room has been established to manage the crisis.

Meanwhile, the weather agency predicts more heavy rain for next week, part of a troubling trend of worsening extreme floods in Southeast Asia. Global warming is causing hotter seas to evaporate more water, and warmer air can hold more moisture, leading to more intense downpours. Scientists are studying the impact of climate change on these extreme weather events.