Pupils battled to scoop floodwater out of a school following heavy rain in northeast Thailand on Monday September 18.

The deluge battered Udon Thani province causing severe flash floods across the region.

It came as the Thailand Meteorological Department (TMD) said in a September 18 advisory that a moderate monsoon trough and a low-pressure system near northern Vietnam was affecting northern and northeastern Thailand. The agency said the southwest monsoon was prevailing across the Andaman Sea and Gulf of Thailand, as well as the nation's lower northeast, central, eastern, and southern regions.

Continuous rainfall and isolated thunderstorms were expected to hit these areas, including Bangkok, the TMD said.

Thailand and neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia are in their annual monsoon rainy season which sees soaring temperatures followed by powerful rain storms in the afternoon leading to widespread flash floods.