Tropical storm batters Buddhist temple in northeastern Thailand as rainy season arrives

Tropical storms battered a Buddhist temple and more than 20 homes in northeastern Thailand.

Tropical storms battered a Buddhist temple and more than 20 homes in northeastern Thailand.

Residents said they were unprepared when strong winds swept through their town in Nakhon Ratchasima on Tuesday (April 27) as the rainy season arrived.

A temple was damaged and a roof was ripped from a school building.

The storms also uprooted trees which fell onto nearby buildings.

There were no reports of deaths or injuries.

Resident Phubet Taensi said: "Light rain started and I thought it was normal weather during the rainy season but then powerful winds came.

"The small raindrops turned into heavy rainfall and my house began to shake for 10 minutes.

Suddenly, the whole house collapsed.

"My wife and I were hit by the debris.

We had to slowly crawl out of the house when the storms ended." Local government officials have been surveying the destruction to evaluate all damages in order to subsidise the affected families.