KOTA KINABALU: Maritime communities in Sabah and neighbouring Labuan have been advised to be wary of strong winds and rough seas.
Sabah and Labuan Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) director First Admiral Che Engku Suhaimi Che Engku Daik said this was based on the warning issued by the Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) and is expected to occur between July 13 and 20.
This period, he said, would be accompanied by strong westerly winds at a speed of between 50kph and 60kph, with waves reaching up to a height of 4.5m.
“This is expected to occur in the waters of west and east Sabah,” he said in a statement yesterday.
“Strong winds of up to 60kph and waves of up to 4.5m are extremely dangerous for small boats, passenger boats and marine recreational activities.
“The maritime community is advised to be aware of the warnings that have been and will be issued by the authorities from time to time,” he added.
First Admiral Che Engku said coastal communities were urged to prioritise the use of life jackets to reduce any risk while out at sea.“People are reminded to always consider their personal safety, besides informing their families of the reason they need to go out to sea as well as their locations.
“They must also ensure that the boats they are using are safe and always be on alert about the current weather,” he said.
In the event of an incident at sea, he said they should immediately contact the 24-hour Sabah and Labuan MMEA operations centre at 088-387774 or the Malaysia Emergency Response Service (MERS) 999 number.
Parts of Sabah’s west coast were hit by flash floods following a five-hour downpour on Wednesday.
Besides flooding, landslips were also triggered, damaging two houses in the Telipok refugee settlement scheme near here.
Five vehicles parked in a housing lot near Lintas here were partially buried in a landslide during the downpour.
In a statement, MetMalaysia said the weather was due to a low pressure system developing in the west of the Philippines and moving in a north-westerly direction.
It said the situation was expected to cause an increase in the speed and concentration of westerly winds in the waters off western Sabah and northern Sarawak until tomorrow.
