It may be too hot to handle

PETALING JAYA: Months of heavy rain created havoc across the country, flooding many parts, but now that the storms have passed, we are faced with the other extreme – the dreaded drought.

Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said that the south-west monsoon is expected to begin this Saturday and last until mid-September.

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During this period, winds will blow consistently from the south-west, with lower air humidity and stable atmospheric conditions.

This will, however, result in a lack of rain cloud formation causing most places in the country to experience more days without rain or with low rainfall.

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Checks on the department website yesterday showed that most states would experience hot weather in the next few days with temperatures ranging between 31°C and 34°C. Perak and Pahang are expected to be the worst hit with temperatures soaring to 35°C.

Muhammad Helmi told The Star that a prolonged period without rain could cause the temperature to increase significantly, but the department did not expect unusual heat with the average daily temperature nationwide being between 32°C and 34°C.

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During this period, the haze could also occur if open burning was not controlled, especially from August to October.

“As we are expecting weak La Nina to occur from August to October, and if there is a period without rain, it is likely that it will not last long. The haze and days without rain can happen anywhere in our country,” he added.

Muhammad Helmi said MetMalaysia constantly monitored weather conditions and wind direction, and collected information related to the number of hotspots in the country and in neighbouring countries.

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“Information on areas with no rain for more than seven days, experiencing high temperatures, heatwaves and at risk of fire are also constantly updated on our website and on social media,” he said, adding that these would be shared with all relevant agencies.

National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) director-general Datuk Dr Aminuddin Hassim said a meeting would be held with all relevant agencies on May 18 to discuss the situation and to ensure that “preparedness is at optimal level”.

Among the agencies involved would be MetMalaysia, the Environment Department, the Air Force, Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, the Fire and Rescue Department, and the National Water Services Commission.

Aminuddin said cloud seeding exercises would only be carried out should conditions permit, such as high humidity, suitable cloud conditions and winds, and stable atmospheric conditions.