Monsoon transition phase in Malaysia
The beginning months of 2022 have been difficult for Malaysians. Severe weather conditions in our country have led to widespread flash floods unleashed by heavy rainfalls.
While Malaysia is expected to experience out-of-the-blue thunderstorms till mid-May during a recently announced Monsoon Transition Phase, there is a light at the end of the tunnel — the transition phase will usher in the end of the Northeast Monsoon, which began on 3rd November 2021.
Continuous bad weather in Malaysia
According to a press statement issued on 11th March 2022 by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (METMalaysia), Malaysia is currently going through a monsoon transition phase which began on Monday, 14th March, and is expected to last till mid-May.
Image credit: Malaysian Meteorological Department
Areas that are affected are the West Coast states, interior of the Peninsula, western Sabah, and western and central Sarawak. During this phase, there will be weak winds coming from all directions to the region of Malaysia. It will result in sudden, but short, bouts of strong winds and heavy rains.
As reported, the storms will usually occur in the afternoon and late evening.
Image credit: Hendri Sabri / Unsplash
Likewise, the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) has advised the public to stay vigilant during this transition period, as heavy rains coupled with strong storms and winds will likely lead to more flash floods, as reported by Bernama.
As such, DID will be conducting regular checks on flood mitigation infrastructure, and is reminding the public to take care of their environment by not littering as this might obstruct river flow.
Image credit: Malaysian Meteorological Department
You can keep an eye out for weather updates on METMalaysia’s website and its social media accounts, including Facebook.
Unusual high amount of rainfall
In a statement by Haliza Abdul Rahman that was reported by MalaysiaKini, the environmental scientist from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) said that predictions of strong cyclones occurring in the near future are based on simulations carried out for 100 years, and data collected over a period of 10,000 years.
“The simulations of central pressure at maximum storm levels done for the future show that areas, including Malaysia, may face intense tropical storms in the coming weeks,” she warned.
She added that climate change could very well be the root cause of the terrible weather, as higher temperatures tend to increase wind velocities.
Image credit: @ahchoen
Using data from METMalaysia to elaborate, Haliza said that there has been an increase of 0.4 Celsius per decade over the last 40 years. Though this meant that the country is showing “significant and continuous weather improvements”, the emission of carbon dioxide has also spiked, leading to temperature changes from 0.7 to 2.6 Celsius.
Consequently, some locations would experience heavier downpour, while other parts of Malaysia might experience drier conditions, or even drought. This is why disasters such as landslides and flash floods have affected many homes and lives in recent days.
Image adapted from: @lokalwav
Broaching the topic of flash floods that struck Klang Valley recently, Haliza said that it was due to the unusually high amount of rainfall. She also mentioned that Malaysia might have to face the possibility of higher temperatures for more than 240 days per year in the future.
Haliza urged the government to take a more active stance in addressing the issue of floods. She suggested that a better warning system should be enforced. Initiatives on minimising the cost of damages following a disaster should also be executed, along with a more efficient delivery of information to the public of flash floods.
A reminder to keep updated on weather conditions
We have seen and faced torrential rains and extreme floods inundating cars and taking lives in Malaysia over the past few months. We urge for everyone to take this as a reminder to brace for the prevailing weather conditions in the next two months, and continue looking out for one another.
Read more here:
- Heavy rain causes massive floods in Kelantan and Terengganu
- JPSKL says garbage in drains is a cause of flash floods in KL
- KL store welcomes people stuck in floods to their office
Cover image adapted from: @Ap_MediaService and @kenetix