Villages were submerged today (June 15) after tropical storm Koguma caused heavy rain and floods in northern Thailand.

The storm earlier made landfall in Thai Binh province in northern Vietnam on June 13 before weakening to a tropical depression as it moved inward across land-locked Laos, where thousands of residents were displaced and homes washed away by the muddy torrents.

Heavy rains brought by the storm caused landslides and torrents of muddy water in several provinces including the capital Vientiane, Xayaboury, Xieng Khouang and Bokeo.

Thailand’s Meteorological Department warned that Koguma would cause heavy showers across the North and Northeast of the country.

Laos and other countries in Southeast Asia such as Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia are at the start of their tropical monsoon rainy season. Soaring temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius are often followed by powerful tropical storms with thunder, lightning, rain and flash floods.