Heavy rain hit villages in northeastern Thailand at the weekend causing rivers to overflow and flood farmers' rice paddies.

Drone footage shows fields submerged in water on Sunday September 4 after the Mun River and Lam Satad River in Nakhon Ratchasima province burst their banks following weeks of persistent downpours.

Authorities said at least 25 villages have been affected, with about 8,000 rai of rice fields damaged.

Farmer Somsak Phenphidee, 66, said: ' The flood level was 80 to 90 centimetres high, but some areas saw floods of more than one metre that lasted for several weeks. Most of the growing rice plants were damaged.'

The provincial Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said more than 87,582 rai of rice fields have been damaged from floods since July 1. The water has reportedly receded, but left parts of Muang Yang and Prathai districts still swamped.

Thailand and other countries in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, are in the middle of their tropical monsoon rainy season, which lasts from May or June until November.

Soaring temperatures reaching 35 degrees Celsius are often followed by powerful tropical storms with thunder, lightning, rain and flash floods which cause rivers to flow faster and become dangerous.

This year, meteorologists have blamed climate change for the sustained heavy rain, which has been hitting the Thai capital and provinces around the country causing severe floods for several weeks.

Warnings of strong wind and storms were also issued for regions across the northeast, east, and south. Thailand's Center for Climate Change and Disaster claimed the coming months could see heavier, longer rainfalls, due to 'climate change'.

Local media reported that the country has this year seen 'an unusually sustained and persistent rainy season'.