Cloud-seeding to begin for northern states

KANGAR: The Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) will carry out cloud-seeding operation in the northern states of the peninsula starting Tuesday.  

According to MetMalaysia source, the operation will take place over a certain period of time, which has yet to be finalised.  

"Now seems to be the most suitable time to conduct the cloud-seeding operation in the northern states, especially between noon and 3pm, but it all depends on the atmosphere and the presence of suitable clouds," he told Bernama here Monday.  

He said the operation, which would begin in Bayan Lepas, would cover the northern states in the peninsula, namely Penang, Perak, Kedah and Perlis.  

In BAGAN SERAI, Perak Public Amenities, Infrastructure, Energy and Water Committee chairman Datuk Zainol Fadzi Paharudin said the level of water supply at the Bukit Merah Dam had declined to 6.6m from the normal level of 8.68m due to the El-Nino phenomenon.

"If the situation persists, the dam will not be able to supply sufficient water to 4,697 hectares of padi fields in Selinsing and Semanggol, hence delaying the padi planting activity in the two districts," he told reporters after visiting the dam here.  

He said the two districts should have received the water supply on Sunday, but the release of the water was rescheduled to April 20.  

In KUANTAN, seven cases of heat exhaustion and one heat stroke case were reported in Pahang.  

State health director Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said the heat exhaustion cases were reported in Kuantan (three cases), Bentong (two), Bera (one) and Temerloh (one), while the heat stroke case was reported in Temerloh.  

"All cases were due to the extreme hot weather condition and involved only adults," he told reporters after launching the state-level massive anti-aedes breeding operation here. - Bernama