What's the weather like?

If you're travelling to Phuket the first thing you will want to know is what the weather is like.

This must be the most commonly asked question on community pages on Facebook and the like and is the reason I decided to start an Instagram account to post daily weather photos straight off my phone without any editing. I am taking them on my boat ride to work and occasionally do some more updates later in the day. So if you want an answer to that question then follow this link! Older photos can be seen here on this blog on the Rawai Boat Cam page.

https://www.instagram.com/weatherphuket/

Quakes and Shakes

Having a conversation with a Thai Seismologist, this is a first for me!

Seismologist: I am at Koh Lanta. Just came this morning for borehole seismometer installation. It is very good quality for earthquake detection.

Me: Does Phuket have seisometer?

Seismologist: Yes, Koh Yao also was installed by me.

Me: How deep in the ground is the sensor?

Seismologist: 30 meter below ground surface.

Me: When there was an earthquake at Kao Yao I could feel it in my house. I live in Phuket Town it was not so far from me. I woke up! First time I thought a big truck went past,so I went back to sleep. Then in the morning I heard about earthquake!! Second time I didn't think it was a truck ha ha ha. I went straight online to see how big it was. It was 4.6M
Details: http://www.earthquake.tmd.go.th/inside-info.html?earthquake=3376

Seismologist: Don't worry , shaking level is similar to the truck. Magnitude range 3.5-4.5

Me: I am happier if it is really a truck!

Me: How long does it take to install seismometer

Seismologist: 2 days install + performance testing I have installed the equipment more than 50 stations around Thailand. There are more than 100 station distributed around the country.

Me: Oh I didn't know that Thailand had so many. I think only one! Maybe in North. now I have learnt something new. I am happy to know this. The big earthquake sites like USGS don't seem to show the small Thai quakes

Me: Who watches the signal?

Seismologist: Thai Meteorological Department

Now I feel a bit safer!

Information thanks to Dr. Paiboon Nuannin ดร. ไพบูลย์ นวลนิล
PhD Geophysics/Seismology at Uppsala University, Sweden.

Author of แผ่นดินไหว พิบัติภัยที่คนไทยต้องพร้อมรับมือ
ISBN : 9786165263382

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnj8vfxNmOs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xV5a9zesYLg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PhiRULivNo

Real Time Total Precipitable Water - Indian Ocean

Thanks to Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies
Just follow the link and choose the region you want to see. (Note the sample below is not realtime)

I find this totally mesmerizing, nature is awesome!