Terrifying winds tore the roofs from families' houses during a summer storm as a heat wave gave way to pounding rain in Thailand.

Footage shows the freak weather pounding on the structures as debris flew around in Nan province on April 26.

Trees and plants swayed as gusts blew and battered the area. No one was hurt in the incident, as residents were advised to stay indoors at the time.

Resident Pim Namotasa said: ‘It was so scary. The weather was so hot a few days ago, so the storm is shocking.'

The storm came as temperatures soared to 45 degrees Celsius last week during a heat wave across the Asia Pacific region.

Maximiliano Herrera, a climatologist and weather historian, described the scorching heat as the 'worst April heatwave in Asian history'.

In Thai capital Bangkok, residents were warned not to go outside amid 42 degrees Celsius temperatures causing power outages due to surging demand from air con units and fans running.

The country's national weather service said the heat index - what the temperature feels like when combined with humidity - hit a record 54C (129F).

The warm weather is now giving way to extreme tropical storms.

The Thai Meteorological Department warned that southerly and southeasterly winds prevailing over upper Thailand would strengthen between April 23 and 26.

Outbreaks of summer storms, accompanied by thunderstorms, gusty winds, hail, and lightning strikes, were expected to affect the northeastern and eastern parts of the country first, before spreading to other regions.