Fishing boats on the sea in Sihanoukville on June 25. Hong Menea
Kuoch Chamroeun, the governor of Preah Sihanouk province, issued a video message on July 15 urging the public, particularly fishermen, to pause sea travel temporarily.
The Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology forecasted that Cambodia would likely face storms, heavy rainfall, strong winds, and high waves.
"The Ministry of Water Resources has forecasted unfavorable weather conditions starting this Saturday morning. Heavy rainfall, strong winds, and high waves could pose risks to travelers on waterways. As such, we've decided to temporarily suspend travel, awaiting better weather conditions," the governor stated in the video.
He further called on the armed forces to collaborate with transport companies to manage this suspension smoothly.
He emphasised reaching out to fishermen with this information and devising ways to contact those already at sea. The aim is to guide them to nearby islands where they can stay temporarily until weather conditions improve.
"I urge all forces to strive to gather data on fishermen who have already set out to sea. This is so we can manage the situation, prepare to tackle any risks, and promptly report to authorities if issues emerge," he added.
In a July 14 notice, the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology provided an update on the weather conditions from July 15-20.
The report stated that an active low-pressure system in the northern Philippine Ocean is consistently evolving and could escalate into a fourth storm.
The storm is expected to move into the South China Sea on July 15 and then advance to northern Vietnam by July 19.
The ministry's notice indicated that this weather condition could lead to medium-to-moderate rainfall across the lowlands extending from the northwest to the southeast towards the Vietnamese border, the regions encircling the Tonle Sap Lake, and the four river basins on either side of the river.
Furthermore, the highland regions, including Preah Vihear, Oddar Meanchey, Siem Reap, Kampong Thom, Stung Treng, and Kratie provinces, might experience medium-to moderate rainfall and winds.
The ministry further underscored that from July 16 to 20, coastal areas in the southwestern provinces - namely Koh Kong, Preah Sihanouk, Kep, and Kampot - could experience moderate to high rainfall. They also anticipated possible rainfall, strong winds, and high waves at sea.
"We also urge the public to exercise increased caution due to potential natural phenomena," the ministry's notice concluded.
