Bangkok flooding kills 31 as city struggles with climate-driven extreme rainfall
At least 31 people died when roughly 300mm of rain fell on Bangkok in 48 hours.
Bangkok was declared a disaster zone just last week after roughly 300 millimetres of rain fell in just 48 hours. September's average monthly rainfall in Thailand's capital is 344 millimetres spread across 18 days.
A stalling low-pressure system dumped the month's rain in two days, overwhelming the city's drainage systems. At least 31 people have died and thousands evacuated.
Bangkok sits on a flat floodplain near the Chao Phraya river mouth, making it vulnerable to flooding. The city has also sunk more than 10 centimetres over decades due to past groundwater extraction, making it harder to drain water into the sea.
Climate change is intensifying extreme rainfall: research shows the heaviest rainfall day in Bangkok has increased by 6 to 12 millimetres per decade.
- 300 millimetres
- Rainfall in 48 hours
- At least 31 people
- Deaths
- More than 10 centimetres over decades
- City subsidence
- 6 to 12 millimetres
- Rainfall increase per decade
Why it mattersAs global temperatures rise, cities in the tropics and subtropics face more frequent and intense flooding that current drainage systems cannot handle.
AustraliaNo direct impact on Australia yet, but if climate trends continue, Australian coastal and flood-prone cities could face similar intensifying rainfall events.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 11 h ago
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