An eerie storm battered a Buddhist temple following an extreme heat wave in northern Thailand.

The ominous black clouds engulfed the Wat Huay Pla Kang in Chiang Rai before driving wind and rain whipped through the grounds on April 23.

The abbot Phra Paisalprachathon recorded the terrifying scene as the storm lashed religious statues outside the main building.

It came as temperatures soared past 40 degrees Celsius last week during a heat wave across the Asia Pacific region. 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.

They said 17 provinces in the Northeast and another five provinces in the East were be affected on Sunday while centre regions would also be hit as the storm moves through the country.

Meanwhile, the moderate high-pressure system from China is expected to extend to the Northeast of Thailand and the South China Sea, leading to hot to very hot weather over the upper regions of the country.

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

Footage shows an eerie storm that battered a Buddhist temple following an extreme heat wave in northern Thailand.

The ominous black clouds engulfed the Wat Huay Pla Kang in Chiang Rai before driving wind and rain whipped through the grounds on April 23.

The abbot Phra Paisalprachathon recorded the terrifying scene as the storm lashed religious statues outside the main building.

It came as temperatures soared past 40 degrees Celsius last week during a heat wave across the Asia Pacific region. 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.

They said 17 provinces in the Northeast and another five provinces in the East were be affected on Sunday while centre regions would also be hit as the storm moves through the country.

Meanwhile, the moderate high-pressure system from China is expected to extend to the Northeast of Thailand and the South China Sea, leading to hot to very hot weather over the upper regions of the country.

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