ANKARA

Southern Thailand braced for more severe flooding as the government declared a state of emergency in the worst-hit province of Songkhla after floods affected over 2.1 million people, local media reported Wednesday.

Thailand's Meteorological Department has issued a fresh alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall and flash floods in regions including Songkhla, Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Trang, Satun, and Surat Thani, according to local media outlet The Nation.

The warning came just hours after Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul declared a state of emergency Tuesday in Songkhla and the Supreme Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces has been appointed as the lead official responsible for managing the emergency response.

"Various agencies have sent officials to help people in all affected areas and provide them with food, essential supplies and transport to support the relief operations," Anutin told the Cabinet, according to an official statement.

Authorities said that up to 70% of the area in the lower south is forecast to be hit by intense rainfall, raising the risk of flash floods, landslides and rapidly rising water levels, particularly in foothill zones and low-lying communities near waterways.

On Tuesday, Thai authorities also deployed helicopters to rescue residents and tourists stranded by severe flooding in the country’s southern region, where at least 13 people have died and more than 2.1 million have been affected since last week.

Nine southern provinces near the Malaysian border have been hit by the floods, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. Around 7,000 foreign tourists -- mostly from Malaysia and Singapore -- were reported trapped in the Hat Yai area.