PUTRAJAYA: The government is stepping up preparations as hotter and drier weather linked to the El Niño phenomenon is expected to continue until early 2027, says the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma).
Its director-general Meor Ismail Meor Akim said the country faces higher risks of open burning, drought, haze and prolonged dry spells as the Southwest Monsoon (MBD) approaches.
“The conclusion from the coordination meeting on preparations for the MBD is clear — we are exposed to higher risks linked to El Niño,” the agency said in a statement on Tuesday (June 9).
It said that although the situation remains under control, the government is not taking it lightly and has directed all relevant agencies to step up preparedness and take early mitigation steps to safeguard public safety and water supply.
Among the measures taken, includes Nadma coordinating seven series of cloud seeding operations involving 27 flights since February 2026 across the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak, with three more series scheduled soon to boost rainfall and dam levels.
“The operations are conducted with the Royal Malaysian Air Force using C-130 Hercules aircraft, while the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MET Malaysia) handles the technical aspects.
“MetMalaysia will continue to monitor and issue updates on El Niño throughout the monsoon period, including haze forecasts and forest fire risk projections through the Fire Danger Rating System (FDRS) with a seven-day outlook,” it added.
The Fire and Rescue Department has been instructed to work with the Department of Environment to monitor 83 high-risk hotspot locations for open burning and to carry out more community awareness programmes with Nadma partners.
Meanwhile, the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) has been told to identify dams requiring maintenance, while the Department of Minerals and Geoscience Malaysia will look for more underground water sources for tube wells in water-scarce areas.
Additionally, the Health Ministry will have hot‑weather health advisories for vulnerable groups, while the Education Ministry rolls out nationwide awareness programmes in schools.
“The whole‑of‑government approach remains central to the government’s efforts to ensure all agencies are at optimal readiness against risks from hot and dry weather,” it added.
