Wet weather in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines

Malaysia: Unusually wet weather early this year
But long-term rainfall range normal: Official
Carolyn Hong Straits Times 10 Jun 11;

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia experienced unusually wet weather in the early part of this year but its rainfall readings over the long term remain within normal range, according to the Meteorological Services Department.

A department official was responding to questions on whether Malaysia's rainfall pattern has changed over the years.

On Sunday, following Singapore's worst floods this year, the country's Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said there was a 'very high probability that our weather patterns have changed'.

The Malaysian official said, however, that data over the past 30 to 40 years does not show any drastic changes.

The official also said that the heavy rain that fell from the end of last year to March this year was due to the La Nina weather phenomenon, duriong which lower sea temperatures in the Pacific induce more clouds to form.

The unusually heavy rain caused floods in Perlis, Terengganu, parts of Kedah and Perak, and in East Malaysia.

Overall, the peninsula received rainfall between 200 per cent and 300 per cent above average, the department said on its website.

It also said the uncertain weather conditions could be due to climate change as well as the La Nina phenomenon.

'Thirty per cent of the principal stations throughout the country have a new record of highest monthly rainfall in March,' it said.

Since the La Nina effect passed at the end of March, however, the weather has become drier, said the meteorological official.

He added that when heavy rain caused flash floods in Singapore on Sunday, southern Johor was also rainy but not unusually so. There were no reports of floods in Johor or elsewhere that day.

Rain continues, delaying start of dry season
Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja Straits Times 10 Jun 11;

JAKARTA: Parts of Indonesia are seeing a delay in the dry season this year due to rain caused by more-than-usual water vapour over surrounding seas, namely the Java Sea in the south and the Indian Ocean in the west, weather forecasters said.

The dry season in Indonesia usually starts between March and July.

But sporadic rain has been pouring into parts of many cities across the archipelago. This weather anomaly may last until the middle of next month, weather forecasters said.

On Sunday, Singapore's Environment and Water Resources Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, speaking after the year's worst floods, said there was a 'very high probability that our weather patterns have changed'.

Mr Erwin Makmur, head of the early warning desk at Indonesia's meteorological service agency, noted a greater volatility in the weather.

But despite the unusual weather pattern in Indonesia, he ruled out calling it climate change.

Jakarta, which should have begun its dry season early last month, is only now transitioning from the rainy season.

'There have been more frequent anomalies,' Mr Erwin told The Straits Times. 'We have had unexpected rain in the middle of the dry season, abundant rain in the middle of the dry season, and the absence of rain for a long stretch of time in the middle of the rainy season.'

Last year was a 'very extreme year', said weather forecasters, with rain falling almost throughout the year and almost across Indonesia, hurting crops.

Prices of chillies in Indonesia more than tripled to more than 100,000 rupiah (S$14.50) a kilogram last year after abundant rain spoiled the harvest.

Rambutan-growing areas in Indonesia had practically zero output as the trees require a few consecutive weeks of warm or dry weather to produce fruit.

'In the past 10 years, temperatures across Indonesia have generally risen by between 1 and 2 deg C,' Mr Erwin said.

The higher temperature means more water vapour, which in turn means more rain, he added.

Heavy flooding kills four after days of incessant rain
Straits Times 10 Jun 11;

MANILA: At least four people drowned after heavy flooding in large areas of the rain-soaked Philippines, the authorities said yesterday, with some of the waters up to chest level.

Days of incessant rain since Monday have shut down schools, and forced a number of domestic flights to be cancelled yesterday.

At least five provinces, 19 municipalities and 135 villages have been affected. More chaos could be on the way, with forecasters predicting that a low pressure area west of the capital could become a storm.

However, the weather disturbance was not likely to develop into a full-blown typhoon and was forecast to blow off towards southern China by today, said Mr Robert Sawi, a senior state weather forecaster.

Overflowing rivers swamped coastal population centres on the major southern island of Mindanao, causing all the known fatalities, rescuers said. Manila was also under threat.

'The water in some parts were chest-deep,' said Mr Nasser Mastura, vice-governor of Maguindanao province, which is among those heavily inundated.

'We have removed thousands to safer grounds,' he said on local television, without giving exact numbers.

The government declared a school holiday in Manila and in some nearby suburbs yesterday, while a number of domestic flights to tiny provincial airports were either delayed or cancelled due to the stormy weather.

La Mesa Dam, Manila's lone tap-water reservoir, was about to overflow, triggering official warnings that nearby residents could be asked to evacuate if the heavy rain continued.

'We are expecting to have continuing heavy rain today until late tomorrow,' said Mr Sawi.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, ASSOCIATED PRESS