KUALA LUMPUR, March 25 — The hot weather phenomenon currently affecting the country is expected to continue until the beginning of the Southwest Monsoon (MBD) in June, following drier atmospheric conditions and lower rainfall, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).
MetMalaysia deputy director-general (Operations) Ambun Dindang said Malaysia is currently in the final phase of the Northeast Monsoon (MTL) which is usually characterised by reduced rainfall and hotter and drier weather conditions, especially in the northern and interior areas of the Peninsula.
He said based on local and international weather model projections, the country is expected to experience drier weather patterns with lower rainfall than usual for the next few months.
“During the monsoon transition phase expected to begin at the end of March to May, the west coast and interior areas of Peninsular Malaysia, western Sabah and Sarawak are expected to receive rain, especially in the afternoon and early evening. This rain is expected to bring down temperatures in Malaysia a little,” he told Bernama.
Ambun said rainfall is expected to increase from the end of this week, affecting most areas in the west and interior of the Peninsular as well as western Sabah and Sarawak.
He said based on the latest records, several areas such as Limbang in Sarawak and Sandakan and Tawau in Sabah have recorded rainfall above normal levels, while several other locations such as Ipoh (Perak), Subang (Selangor), Kudat (Sabah) and Mulu (Sarawak) recorded normal levels.
“However, most other stations showed rainfall below normal levels, with Kedah (Alor Setar, Kubang Pasu and Langkawi) and Papar (Sabah) each recording up to 17 days without rain, while Perlis recorded 15 days without rain as of March 23,” he said
Ambun said northern areas of the Peninsula such as Kedah, including Pendang, Baling and Padang Terap, were more vulnerable to hot weather due to geographical factors and the MTL wind pattern which brought more humidity to the East Coast and southern Peninsula as well as Sabah and Sarawak.
“In January, the focus of wind flow and weather systems is more active in the area, causing the northern and western areas of Peninsular Malaysia to experience drier and hotter weather conditions,” he said.
Meanwhile, he said that generally, hot weather conditions in Malaysia usually occur in the final phase of the MTL in February to April, where the northern areas of Peninsular Malaysia tend to show warmer weather patterns, but it also depends on climate variability such as the ENSO phenomenon.
Ambun said that based on global climate models, Malaysia is no exception to experiencing an increase in the frequency of extreme hot days, especially if influenced by the El Nino phenomenon.
“The country’s highest temperature record shows a reading of 40.1 degrees Celsius in Chuping, Perlis in 1998, followed by Batu Embun, Pahang (39.3 degrees Celsius) in 2016 and Alor Setar (39.1 degrees Celsius) in 1998, all of which occurred during strong El Nino phenomena,” he said.
Ambun said Malaysia had the potential to reach a level 3 heat wave if a strong El Nino occurred, but the development of the phenomenon was still being monitored.
He said MetMalaysia defined a heat wave as a daily maximum temperature exceeding 37 degrees Celsius for three consecutive days, with a level 1 warning issued at 35-37 degrees Celsius, level 2 at 37-40 degrees Celsius and level 3 when the temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius for the same period.
Ambun also advised the public to drink enough water, reduce outdoor activities especially during the afternoon, wear appropriate clothing and avoid open burning and be prudent in water use to avoid wastage.
He said hot and dry weather could also lower dam levels and increase the risk of drought and water supply disruptions, besides affecting health such as heat stroke and dehydration.
