Malaysia: Cyclone takes the heat for hot weather

Yvonne Lim The Star 14 May 13;

PETALING JAYA: The hot, dry weather the Klang Valley has been experiencing lately is temporary and can be attributed to changing wind patterns and the effects of the cyclonic storm Mahesan over the Bay of Bengal, said the Malaysian Meteorological Department.

A department spokesman explained that changing wind patterns during the current inter-monsoon season in the country’s west coast caused less cloud coverage over the Klang Valley, simultaneously decreasing the shielding from the sun’s rays in the area.

This caused the days to be hotter, he said.

“We have just finished the April monsoon season and we are expected to enter the South-East monsoon at the end of this month. When the wind pattern stabilises, we will get more rain.

“Currently, the temperature in the Klang Valley is averaging at around 35°C but we can expect it to drop towards the end of the month,” he said, describing the inter-monsoon dryness as a common phenomenon.

He, however, added that based on the wind patterns, this year’s South-East monsoon was expected to be drier, with fewer rainy days compared with recent years.

He said this year’s inter-monsoon dry spell had lasted longer than usual, but added that it was nothing to worry about.

The cyclonic storm over the Bay of Bengal, he said, had driven moisture from around the region into it.

“Nevertheless, we are expecting this to die off by the end of this week as the cyclone is expected to head northeast towards the Bangladesh-Myanmar coast.”