Rainfall down but will be better next two months

PETALING JAYA: Rainfall has drastically reduced between 20% and 60% in parts of the country as Malaysians suffer through the hot and dry weather brought on by El Nino.

The good news, however, is that rainfall is expected to return to normal levels over the next two months with some states getting slightly more than average – between 50mm and 400mm.

“The effect of a stronger El Nino was felt throughout the country with a new record for average rise in temperature set in January this year, surpassing the record set in January 1998,” said a report in the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry’s website.

It stated that most parts of the country experienced a rise of between 0.5°C and 2°C rise in temperature with hotter and drier weather affecting the northern peninsula and the East Coast.

Also affected were parts of Sabah and Sarawak.

The report added the hot and dry weather would gradually taper off during the inter-monsoon over the next two months, with average temperatures dropping 1.5°C and 1.7°C.

The temperature in several parts of the country yesterday was Prai (35°C), Kota Baru (33°C), Ipoh (36°C), Cameron Highland (23°C), Petaling Jaya (34°C), Kota Kinabalu (30°C) and Sarawak (32°C).