PETALING JAYA: Brace yourselves as the thunderstorms and heavy rains happening across parts of Malaysia in the later parts of the day are not set to end anytime soon.
Instead, the conditions are expected to persist till May, which is when the intermonsoon period ends, say weather experts.
“These weather conditions are typical for this (intermonsoon) period. Thunderstorms and heavy rainfall are expected typically in the afternoons and evenings, particularly on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
“Along with this comes the increasing likelihood of flash floods,” said climatologist Emeritus Professor Dr Fredolin Tangang.
Fredolin, who is also an Academy of Sciences Malaysia fellow, said rainfall on the west coast of the peninsula usually peaks between April and May during the intermonsoon period.
The intermonsoon period began on March 29 and is expected to last until late May, before Malaysia transitions to the southwest monsoon, which brings about relatively drier weather.
Meteorologist Emeritus Professor Datuk Dr Azizan Abu Samah of Universiti Malaya said there are two periods of peak rainfall for the west coast of the peninsula, namely April and October.
This is unlike in the east coast, which only has one peak during the early stage of the northeast monsoon, which usually sets in around November, said Azizan.
“The peaks are related to the north-south movement of the inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ), with the current episode owing to the northward march of the ITCZ,” he said.
Azizan added that Malaysia is currently still in the neutral phase of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation, and not that of a La Nina or El Nino.
“There is, however, an expected shift to the El Nino by the year-end, but it is unclear if it will be a weak or strong one,” he said.
Malaysian Meteorological Department director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said the intermonsoon period brings light winds from varying directions, conducive to the formation of thunderstorm clouds.
“This can result in heavy rains and strong winds over a short period, especially during the evening and early parts of the night,” he said.
He added that these conditions are forecasted for most parts of the west coast and interior of the peninsula, as well as western parts of Sabah and Sarawak.
“These conditions can cause flash floods, fallen trees and damage to weak structures,” he said, warning the public to be more cautious during these periods and follow weather forecasts and alerts issued by the department.
This past week, heavy rains and thunderstorms hit parts of the peninsula, with several cases of fallen trees.
On Saturday, a retaining wall near Jalan Abang Haji Openg in Kuala Lumpur collapsed after heavy rain.
A mud flood also occurred there, resulting in a stop-work order issued for the Federal Park Administrative Zone office project in Bukit Kiara.
