The Star 12 Feb 16;
PETALING JAYA: Malaysians down south can expect rainy weather to persist until April while those up north will have to bear with warm days.
Malaysian Meteorological Depart-ment deputy director-general Alui Bahari said the current weather pattern was typical of the northeast monsoon season, which started in November.
“It is normal that during its final phase – from February until March – for the monsoon rains to be more concentrated over the southern peninsula and west Sarawak,” he said when contacted by The Star.
States experiencing heavy rains include Johor, Negri Sembilan and Malacca.
The highest rainfall for the Kuching, Samarahan, Serian, Sri Aman and Betong divisions was also recorded during January and February, compared with other months.
“On the other hand, the central and northern peninsula, eastern Sarawak and Sabah are experiencing hot and warm weather due to lesser rainfall during this period,” he said.
Lubok Merbau in Perak recorded a maximum temperature of 37°C on Jan 23 while the rest of the country recorded about 35°C.
“There’s a possibility of drought conditions in northern Perak, Penang, Kedah, Perlis and Kelantan,” said Alui.
He said the central region, including the Klang Valley, would get some respite with isolated showers and thunderstorms during this period.
Alui said the inter-monsoon season from April would ring heavy rains to the west coast, from Perlis to Johor along with inland areas in Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan.
