Preah Sihanouk provincial authorities on Monday banned small fishing and tourist boats from sailing out to sea due to bad weather conditions. Police
Preah Sihanouk provincial authorities on Monday banned small fishing and tourist boats from sailing out to sea due to bad weather conditions.
Provincial police chief Chuon Narin said the ban had been effective since Sunday morning when gale-force winds caused a fishing boat to sink.
“Since Sunday, we have banned all fishing and tourist boats from leaving jetties. The wind is so strong and the tide is now up to 1.5m, which can cause accidents.
“On Monday morning, the weather seemed to turn, paving the way for large tourist and commercial boats to resume their activities,” he said.
Narin said navy police were constantly monitoring the weather and were ready to assist should any mishap occur.
Vann Eng, 20, a fisherman in Prey Nop district’s Koh Kyong area, said heavy rains and high winds had prevented her family and other villagers from going about their business.
“Generally, we do not go fishing if the weather appears to be very awful. Sometimes, bad weather lasts up to a week,” she said.
Morm Ry, a tourist boat operator in Koh Rong Sanloem commune’s Koh Touch village, said the weather tends to turn awful during the morning and evening.
He said it was usually clear between 11am and 2pm, during which he could bring tourists to the islands.
“It’s great that the police constantly inform the public about weather conditions on an hourly basis. This helps us know beforehand if it’s safe to head out to the sea. We must follow the authorities’ instructions to avoid accidents,” he said.
On Monday, the Ministry of Water Resources and Meteorology appealed to all fishermen and tourists to exercise caution while the Kingdom is under the influence of the low-pressure Inter-tropical Convergence Zone and northeast monsoon winds.
Ministry spokesman Chan Youttha told The Post on Monday that rains will continue to fall in provinces in the southern, northwestern, and coastal areas.
“Based on the weather forecast, there will be heavy rains from today [Monday] until next Monday,” he said.
The tide, he said, could reach up to 2m in coastal provinces.
