PETALING JAYA: Wet, windy and cooler weather is expected to persist across parts of the country until early December, say weather experts.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) said the region is expected to be affected by strong monsoon cold surges between Nov 24 and 27 brought about by the onset of the north-east monsoon.
“This situation has the potential of causing continuous heavy downpour in the east coast of the peninsula.
“At the same time, strong winds and rough seas are expected to occur at the South China Sea,” MetMalaysia said in a statement on its website yesterday.
When contacted, its director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said there was nothing out of the ordinary for the weather to get a bit more chilly during this period.
“This type of weather is common during early and peak phases of the north-east monsoon. The situation will be different towards the end of the monsoon, beginning between January till March next year,” he added.
During this period, five to seven episodes of continuous heavy rainfall are expected.
Floods have since affected three districts in Kelantan, with heavy rain expected in several east coast states over the next few days.
The National Disaster Management Agency has put 100,000 personnel on full alert for the monsoon season, with almost 9,000 temporary flood evacuation centres identified nationwide.
Universiti Malaya’s Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences Prof Datuk Azizan Abu Samah said the recent cooler temperature was due to a monsoon cold surge affecting the region.
Azizan said this was why there were floods affecting areas at the Thai-Malaysia border.
“If the flow (of colder air) was a bit northward like in this case, instead of Kota Baru, Kelantan flooding, you get floods in Hat Yai, Thailand.
“It would be the opposite if the surge was a bit more southward as this would have meant heavier rainfall for Kota Baru,” he added.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Prof Fredolin Tangang said the cold surge was due to the strengthening of the Siberian High over central Asia, blowing cooler air masses south.
“On average, the Siberian High intensifies approximately six times during the north-east monsoon, creating pulses of strong winds known as cold surges,” he said.
