Hot, dry weather for Malaysia at end of north-east monsoon, says MetMalaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will experience drier and hotter weather due to a prolonged lack of rain following the final phase of the north-east Monsoon, which is expected to continue until the end of March.

Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said that cloud cover and rainfall would be reduced in most areas, especially the north of the peninsula, including Perak, Pahang and Kelantan, during this period.

"Hot weather during this period is a repeated phenomenon that occurs annually every February to May. During this time, daily maximum temperatures can exceed 35 C in early afternoons,” he said in a statement on Tuesday (Feb 13), adding that the highest temperature recorded by the department’s stations was 36.9 C in Chuping, Perlis on Feb 8.

Higher temperatures are expected due to the strong El Nino phenomenon, he said and advised everyone to take steps to reduce water usage and limit their time outside of buildings to avoid overexposure to hot weather.

He also urged the public to be conscious of weather changes and to obtain the latest weather information and warnings from MetMalaysia’s official website, the myCuaca app and its social media channels. – Bernama