PUTRAJAYA: About 300 of the 500 flood warning sirens nationwide are being upgraded to enable warning signals to be delivered more effectively to local residents, says Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID) director-general Datuk Dr Md Nasir Md Noh.
He said the warning sirens would have a louder and different sound from police or ambulance sirens and would be followed by announcements to alert residents that there flooding is expected in their area.
ALSO READ: Floods: Govt plans to increase siren stations equipped with public announcements
"We are increasing the siren volume and will equip the system with public announcement (capabilities). Before this, no announcement was made.
"These sirens are installed in critical areas throughout the country,” he said on Thursday (Sept 15) during the Disaster Management Committee Secretariat and Technical Agencies-Media programme at SMART headquarters in Pulau Meranti near here.
He added that test runs had been conducted in certain locations.
ALSO READ: PM: Disaster management committees to be activated immediately ahead of monsoon season
On Monday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the Central Disaster Management Committee meeting agreed that the early warning sirens should be different from other sirens such as ambulances and police patrol cars so as to avoid confusion.
Meanwhile, Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said the department would install five more weather radars by next year, taking the total number nationwide to 19.
"This will strengthen weather monitoring operations... we will be able to issue rain or thunderstorm warnings more quickly,” he said.
The north-east monsoon season will bring continued heavy rains that could lead to major flooding, especially in the east coast states of the peninsula.
Heavy rains are expected in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang from November to December, while Johor, Sabah and Sarawak will face the monsoon from December to January. – Bernama
