Commentary: As the planet warms, cities like Bangkok could be inundated by more deadly floods
Bangkok is facing severe flooding following record-breaking rainfall, which experts attribute to climate change and stalled low-pressure systems. The disaster has resulted in significant casualties and infrastructure damage, highlighting the vulnerability of tropical cities to extreme weather.
Why it matters
It underscores the increasing frequency and intensity of climate-driven natural disasters in densely populated urban centers.
The fingerprint of climate change is detectable in global extreme rainfall trends, says a researcher.
FILE PHOTO: People wade through a flooded area during heavy rain in Bangkok, Thailand, September 27, 2026. REUTERS/Patipat Janthong/File Photo
MELBOURNE: In the humid tropics of Southeast Asia, afternoon thunderstorms roll through almost every day. Daytime heat causes towering, fluffy cumulonimbus clouds to form and swell before unleashing torrential rain on cities such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok.
In these places, drainage systems are designed to cope with short, heavy downpours of rain. But the rains in Bangkok over the last week were far from typical.
September is the wettest month in Thailand’s bustling capital, with a monthly average of 344mm usually spread across 18 rainy days. But just last week, roughly 300mm of rain fell in Bangkok over 48 hours, overwhelming the city’s drainage systems.
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