This Hot And Dry Weather Will Last Until The Middle Of March, Says METMalaysia
Temperatures could hit a maximum of 37.5 degrees Celsius.
By May Vin Ang — 24 Jan 2020, 01:06 PM
Expect the weather to stay hot and dry until the middle of March, said the Malaysian Meteorological Department (METMalaysia)
METMalaysia director-general Jailan Simon said the dry spell was expected to continue, especially in the northern Peninsular and the east of Sabah.
According to an earlier announcement, the country is currently experiencing the last phase of the northeast monsoon which started in October 2019 and predicted to end in March 2020.
Jailan said the daily maximum temperatures are expected to soar between 34 and 36 degrees Celsius
"It could also reach up to 37.5 degrees Celsius especially in Kedah, Perlis, Pulau Pinang, north of Perak, as well as the outskirts of Kelantan and Pahang between February until mid-April," he told the New Straits Times.
According to Jailan, the heat is caused by low rainfall, the close position of the sun, and the northeastern wind blowing from a dry area of Indochina.
Langkawi, Perlis, Penang, and the north of Kedah have not had any rain since December last year
He said most of the areas had less than 50mm rain in December and less than 10mm for January this year as of Tuesday, 21 January.
The Star reported that the department had carried out two cloud seeding exercises over the weekend in Kedah and Penang to ease dry farmland and raise dam water levels.
Jailan added that these climate changes was normal and should not be a cause for alarm
The department did not anticipate the El Nino or any extremely dry and abnormal temperatures this year.
"The department is closely monitoring the situation, and will issue warnings in the event of any extremities," he said.
In the meantime, according to Bernama, he advised the public to save and drink enough water, be careful while doing outdoor activities, and avoid open burning.
