Cities near equator can expect extreme weather patterns

Tourists use umbrellas while at the National Monument, Kuala Lumpur during hot weather. SYED AZAMUDDEN / THE STAR

PETALING JAYA: The highest temperature ever recorded in Malaysia was at 40.1°C in Chuping, Perlis, a small town known for its large sugar cane plantations.

According to the Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), the high temperature then – recorded on April 9, 1998, – was due to the global El Nino phenomenon that struck that year.