PETALING JAYA: Heavy rains are set to hit the east coast but Perlis, Kedah, Penang and northern Perak are expected to receive lower than normal rainfall between December and January next year.
The Meteorological Department said the north-east monsoon will arrive some time in November.
In Sarawak, normal rainfall of between 300mm and 450mm is expected to fall until the end of the year.
Between January to February 2017, Kapit and Belaga are expected to receive slightly below normal rainfall. The other areas are expected to receive the normal rainfall.
For Sabah, most parts are expected to receive normal rainfall until January 2017, while Kudat and Sandakan will receive below normal rainfall from February to March 2017.
A weak or neutral La Nina is expected to occur until early next year.
La Nina leads to a cooling of seawater and often takes place after El Nino.
Both situations lead to unusually heavy rainfall in some parts of the world and drought elsewhere.