Bad weather, heavy rain due to La Nina phenomenon – Expert

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The heavy rain and thunderstorms taking place in several areas in the country are not only due to the monsoon transition phase, but they are also contributed by the La Nina phenomenon sweeping in Southeast Asia including Malaysia at moderate level. – File photo

KUALA TERENGGANU (Oct 5): The heavy rain and thunderstorms taking place in several areas in the country are not only due to the monsoon transition phase, but they are also contributed by the La Nina phenomenon sweeping in Southeast Asia including Malaysia at moderate level.

“it is part of the maritime phenomenon which is linked to a fall in seawater surface temperature in the middle and eastern sections of the Pacific Ocean. So with the fall in temperature, winds blowing from the Pacific Ocean towards us (Southeast Asia) is gaining strength and would raise the level of humidity as well as increasing the amount of rainfall,” he said when contacted by Bernama.

The Meteorological Department of Malaysia (MetMalaysia) today issued a bad weather warning for Labuan and several districts in Sabah from today to tomorrow apart from several states in northern Peninsula – Perlis, Kedah and Penang from Wednesday to Friday.

Fredolin said the La Nina phenomenon which usually occurs once in three to five years, affected the  country in the past few months and it would continue until the end of this year or next year.

Heavy rain due to the monsoon transition phase and the La Nina phenomenon could cause floods in the Klang Valley and Sabah.

“Terengganu is not feeling the effect of the monsoon transition but the East Coast would generally have heavy rain during the monsoon season at the end of the year,” he said.

Meanwhile, Terengganu Civil Defence Force director Lieutenant Colonel (PA) Che Adam A Rahman reminded residents so be careful of poisonous animals in flooded residential areas.

“For example last Saturday, a 70-kilogramme crocodile appeared in an abandoned mining area in Kampung Ladang Sentosa in Kuala Nerus and the reptile was captured by a group anglers,” he said.

In this regard, Che Adam said the Civil Defence Force is on full alert with 319 officers and 2,610 personnel for the monsoon season.

“in case of floods, we would mobilise 50 officers and personnel to the location in an hour and in the next six hours, we will sent a team of 150 officers and members,” he said. – Bernama