New Straits Times 18 Jun 14;
KUALA LUMPUR: The effects of the El Nino weather phenomenon will start to be felt in Peninsular Malaysia at the end of this year or early next year, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Society.
Its corporate and commercial services director, Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said this was due to the peninsula's location which was far from the Pacific Ocean.
"Countries nearer the Pacific Ocean like Indonesia and Australia, as well as Sabah and Sarawak might feel the effects of El Nino earlier than Peninsular Malaysia.
"Besides, the effects cannot be accurately predicted as it would depend on the strength of the El Nino, whether it is at a weak, moderate or strong level," he said when speaking as a guest in the "Dalam Radar" programme of Bernama's Radio 24 at Wisma Bernama, here, today.
The El Nino phenomenon refers to the prolonged warming of surface temperatures over the eastern Pacific Ocean for six months every two to seven years.
On the hot weather in the country now, Mohd Hisham said this was due to the current southwest moonsoon period which brought the heat, less rainfall and less cloud formations. - BERNAMA
