KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has mobilised preparations across all 25 local authorities to handle the upcoming Northeast Monsoon, said Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Arif.
The weather event is expected to bring heavy rainfall, strong winds, and rough seas.
He said that Inter-agency coordination and contingency planning are underway.
The Northeast Monsoon typically runs from November through March, though shifting global climate patterns have made seasonal weather increasingly unpredictable.
Speaking after officiating the Ambuyat Festival at Dewan Seri Wawasan in Membakut on Sunday (Nov 1), Arifin said that each district maintains a dedicated disaster committee to manage local response efforts.
He added that state officials are monitoring progress on federally approved permanent evacuation centres, with construction scheduled to begin next year.
The preparations come as localised flooding has already begun impacting southwestern Sabah, where 24 residents were evacuated from Kampung Bebangkong in Mesapol, Sipitang, on Sunday.
