INTERACTIVE: Early start to hot and dry season in Malaysia

 By Shyafiq Dzulkifli


PETALING JAYA: Malaysia's hot and dry season started earlier this year compared to the past two years, due to the ongoing El Nino weather phenomenon.

 


High temperature notices have been issued for 15 locations across 6 states so far this year.

 


In comparison, such advisories were only issued starting in March for both 2023 and 2022, according to an analysis of the notices which are issued by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).

 



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All of the 63 alerts issued so far this year have been Level 1 advisories.





According to MetMalaysia, the highest-ever temperature reading in the country was 40.1C in Chuping, Perlis on April 9, 1998, which incidentally was an El Niño year.

 

El Nino and La Nina are weather phenomena dictated by the flow of warm and cool oceanic currents circulating the planet.

 

El Nino causes sea temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean to rise, bringing hot and dry weather to Malaysia.








 

During the El Nino in 1998 and 2016, parts of Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore were blanketed by thick haze due to hundreds of peat soil fires in Sumatra and Kalimantan.

 

Last year - which was the world's hottest year - saw different places on the planet having to deal with both fires and floods at the same time due to the impacts of climate change, which was exacerbated by the El Nino phenomenon.







MetMalaysia in a statement on Jan 31 said the current El Niño is expected to continue to the second quarter of this year.

 

"There is a 73% probability that the El Niño phenomenon could cause drier weather which would normally occur throughout a period of nine to 12 months and could sometimes continue up to two years," MetMalaysia said.

 

On Feb 17, MetMalaysia issued Level 1 notices for 10 places throughout the country, the highest number for a single day this year.

 

So far many of the alerts are for places in northern peninsula Malaysia states especially Kedah, Perak, and Pulau Pinang.

 

Pokok Sena, Baling, and Langkawi in Kedah recorded the highest heat alerts with 7 alerts in each location.


Meanwhile, 5 high-temperature notices were issued in Sik, Kedah and Kuala Kangsar, Perak with 6 alerts.


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