razak ahmad, c.a. zulkifle, and kathleen ann kili The Star 30 Nov 17;
PETALING JAYA: With floods worsening in the east coast, continuous rain now threatens the northern peninsular states as well.
The rains, brought about by the north-east monsoon which started on Nov 13, became so heavy that the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) issued a red alert on Tuesday for parts of Kelantan and Terengganu.
The department has since lowered it to orange for Perlis, Kedah (Langkawi, Kubang Pasu, Kota Setar, Pokok Sena, Padang Terap, Sik and Baling), Perak (Hulu Perak), Kelantan (Tumpat, Pasir Mas, Kota Baru, Bachok, Tanah Merah, Machang, Pasir Putih, Jeli and Kuala Krai) and Terengganu (Besut and Setiu).
A yellow alert means heavy rain is expected within the next one to three days and if there is continuous rain, it will not last for more than six hours and the rainfall will be less than 60mm.
A red alert signifies continuous heavy rain exceeding 240mm a day.
In Kelantan, the number of flood evacuees went up from nearly 7,000 at 8am yesterday to more than 8,000 five hours later.
Neighbouring Terengganu was also badly hit with more than 2,000 displaced persons seeking shelter.
According to the MetMalaysia website, there are four seasons in Malaysia – the south-west monsoon (May to September), north-east monsoon (November to March) and the inter-monsoon periods.
Separately, Tenaga Nasional Berhad said its emergency response team was ready to work round the clock to help out in flood-hit areas.
The power company said in a statement that the team would work to restore supply cuts caused by the floods as soon as it was safe to do so.
It said operations rooms in affected states would be activated to monitor the situation and channel the latest information on supply cuts.
The Inland Revenue Board (IRB), meanwhile, said its Pasir Mas Revenue Service Centre in Kelantan was temporarily closed.
The centre would resume operations only after the floods receded, the IRB said in a statement.
In the Klang Valley, heavy rains from the inter-monsoon season, which ended early this month, had led to near-capacity water levels in the area’s dams.
The Sungai Selangor, Klang Gates, Langat and Semenyih dams recorded water levels of 100%, according to the Selangor Water Management Authority website.
It’s best not to go out to sea now, say authorities
The Star 30 Nov 17;
JOHOR BARU: Fishermen and others involved in activities at sea have been advised to be on high alert for strong winds and rough waters.
Johor Health, Environment, Education and Information Committee chairman Datuk Ayub Rahmat said the current weather is not favourable for going out to sea, especially for recreational activities and those in small boats.
He said that according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), the north-east winds are expected to hit 40kph to 50kph, with waves recording heights of about 3.5m in the northern Malacca Straits until Saturday.
“Although bad weather has not been forecast for the Johor Straits yet, it is best to stick to indoor activities during the monsoon season,” he said yesterday.
“Strong winds and rough seas are dangerous to small boats, marine recreation and sea sports,” he said.
