PETALING JAYA: Jerantut and Raub in Pahang are the latest localities to be hit with sweltering heat, with a yellow (Level 1) heatwave alert issued for both.
According to the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), a total of 21 localities nationwide have been issued heatwave alerts as at 6am on Tuesday (March 24).
Baling, Pendang and Pokok Sena in Kedah continue to be the hardest hit with an orange (Level 2) heatwave alert issued after temperatures ranged between 37°C and 40°C for at least three consecutive days.
Other impacted localities in Kedah include Sik, Padang Terap, Kubang Pasu, Pulau Langkawi, Kuala Muda, Kulim and Bandar Baharu where a Level 1 heatwave alert has been issued.
Other localities with a Level 1 heatwave alert include Daerah Utara and Timur Laut in Penang, Hulu Perak, Selama, Kinta and Kuala Kangsar in Perak; as well as Perlis and Kuala Lumpur.
Level 1 alerts are issued when temperatures range between 35°C and 37°C for at least three consecutive days.
On a related matter, alerts have been issued for water levels at nine dams nationwide.
Up north, water levels at the Muda dam in Kedah had dropped to only 7.89% of its capacity as at press time.
Water levels at the Ahning and Beris dams in Kedah have also reached caution levels, recording 54.72% and 60.16% of their capacity, respectively.
The Timah Tasoh dam in Perlis is currently at 39.09% capacity while the Bukit Merah dam in Perak is at 38.6% capacity.
In Johor, water levels at four dams have reached caution levels.
They are Labong (61%), Gunung Pulai 2 (47.78%), Upper Layang (43.52%) and Lebam (58.15%).
