‘Once-in-300-years’ rain leaves Thai city flooded and maternity ward stranded

People wade through a flooded area in Hat Yai, Thailand, on November 22, 2025. Roylee Suriyaworakul/Reuters Bangkok, Thailand —

A “once in 300 year” storm has battered southern Thailand, bringing floodwaters more than eight feet high that in one city cut off access to a maternity ward holding 30 newborn babies, staff and officials said.

At least 19 people across southern Thailand have died, mainly caused by electrocution and flood-related accidents, according to the public health ministry.

The heaviest rain was seen in Hat Yai city, a major center of transportation and trade in Songkhla province, which recorded “the heaviest rain in 300 years,” according to the country’s Royal Irrigation Department. That figure refers to how rare this kind of rainstorm is, with a probability of o