Ecowatch: Malaysia needs a heat action plan

Nobody is talking about extreme heat and pregnancy risk. For one thing, with every extra degree of heat, the risk of premature birth rises by 4% – any national heat risk plan must take this and other factors that affect pregnancy into account. — 123rf

WE talk about heat in Malaysia the way we talk about the weather: as something to put up with, not something to plan for. But the numbers tell a different story.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) expects the current El Niño weather cycle to peak between March and May 2027, with temperatures likely to pass the record of 40.1°C. In early May this year, the Health Ministry had already logged 56 heat-related illnesses nationwide, including two deaths from heat stroke.