Red alert for Sonamu

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Public urged to stay clear of beaches and fishermen asked to stay home

EARLY WARNING: Misnu (right) and National Security Council secretary Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen Abdul Wahab showing the latest direction of the tropical storm.

KUCHING: Tropical storm Sonamu which struck the Philippines on Jan 4 is expected to make landfall in Mukah tomorrow, cautioned Deputy State Secretary Datu Misnu Taha yesterday.

Speaking to reporters after chairing a State Disaster Management Committee meeting, he said the storm, swirling at a speed of 60km per hour, was about 415km away from Mukah.

As such, he advised people living in Sibu, Mukah and Bintulu to be prepared for any eventuality.

The state Meteorological Department, on the other hand, has warned residents of coastal areas in Sarikei, Mukah, Bintulu and Miri to cancel all outings at beaches from today till Jan 13. They have also advised fishermen not to go out to sea during this period.

“This tropical storm is expected to make landfall in Mukah on Jan 11 so people in the central region are advised to prepare for any eventuality, especially those staying in low-lying and flood-prone areas,” said Misnu.

“They must be on full alert and be prepared to evacuate when necessary.”

Misnu added that since thunderstorms and strong winds might be whipped up by Sonamu, all sea activities had been deemed dangerous for now.

He said although it was possible that the tropical storm could divert elsewhere without directly hitting the state, everyone should adopt the ‘precaution is better than cure’ stance.

Misnu added that the government would keep close tabs on the situation and would feed the public with the latest information regularly.

“Everyone should keep their ears wide open on the latest development to avoid being caught by surprise when the phenomenon really happens.”

A spokesman from the Meteorological Department speaking The Borneo Post said Sonamu might not hit the state with its full force and although its status had been downgraded to a ‘tropical depression’, there would still be strong waves, strong winds and heavy rain which could result in floods in low lying areas in the central region, especially Sibu.

He added that from today till Sunday waves were expected to reach category one in Kuching (about 3.5 metres) to category two (about 4.5 metres) in the central region up to Miri.

The spokesman added that satellite images showed that the storm could bring forth heavy rain.