Rise of 'The Child': Will Malaysia face a turbo-charged El Nino in 2023?

The last time Malaysia experienced an extreme El Nino was in 2015/2016 when scenes like this occurred. This is a dried up Tasek Takong in Pengkalan Hulu, Perak, in April 2016. — Filepic/The Star

Folks in Malaysia have a particular way of describing the dry and hot weather in the run-up to the lunar new year: “Chinese New Year weather” – and this year, despite the heavier than usual rainfall from the effects of La Nina that will linger until next month or March, it has got so hot and dry so swiftly and suddenly that many are wondering if the El Nino weather cycle is imminent or even already here.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has been kept busy assuring Malaysians that despite what it looks like, it’s still too early to predict the probability of El Nino or its strength and impact on the country.