Cyclone Nargis

The news seeping out of the military run state of Burma (officially called Myanmar) is getting worse by the hour. Latest news on the BBC puts the number of dead at 22,000. Cyclone Nargis hit on 3rd May. I normally might have noticed but was on holiday away from my usual dose of BBC World with early morning coffee. We certainly got a fair amount of rain in Chumphon. The photos I took in the morning of the 3rd May at Prachuap Khiri Khan show some sunshine (see previous post), but the rain started by late morning and pretty much continued until late on Sunday 4th May. Was wet on and off on the 5th in Chumphon too. Thailand borders Burma, indeed Chumphon is not that far from the border, but the main force of the cyclone was about 800 kilometers away from us. We just got the edge. We all noticed swollen rivers on the 5th in the morning when we drove to give a donation to a local school for handicapped children.

The cyclone hit coastal areas of Burma, especially the Irrawaddy river delta and low lying land; the worst place to be in the path of a cyclone. News sources are hampered by the limits on reporting in the military controlled country. Queues are forming to provide aid, but the Myanmar regime is very reluctant to let foreigners roam around the country.

• Latest BBC News - Cyclone Nargis