KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 22 — Flash floods are occurring in several states due to heavy rain and thunderstorms as the country undergoes the monsoon transition phase that is expected to last until November.
Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Helmi Abdullah said during the monsoon transition phase, the region will receive weak winds from various directions involving the West Coast and interiors of Peninsular Malaysia, the West Coast of Sabah, along with the West and Central areas of Sarawak.
“Usually, the monsoon transition phase occurs from mid-September to November before the Northeast Monsoon begins, and this situation causes thunderstorms and heavy rain with strong winds in the evening to early night in addition to tornadoes and hail.
“The weather pattern has the potential to cause flash floods, landslides, water surges, falling trees, lightning strikes and damage to unstable structures,” he told Bernama today.
Helmi advised the public to be alert and careful by taking shelter inside houses or buildings, and parking vehicles in safe areas, staying away from electrical conductor rods, tall structures, and reservoirs during thunderstorms.
Simultaneously, he said most of the country’s waters are safe and calm to carry out activities at sea. However, the public is advised to be cautious and check with MetMalaysia if they want to carry out any activities at sea.
Meanwhile, National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) director-general Datuk Khairul Shahril Idrus said his team was always prepared to face the risk of flood disasters nationwide including in non-hotspot areas.
There are a total of 77 districts across the country except for those in Penang, Perlis, and Kuala Lumpur which frequently experience floods with the highest number recorded in Sabah comprising 12 districts including Tenom, Beaufort, Penampang, Beluran, and Kota Marudu.
Johor follows this with ten districts including Johor Bahru, Kluang, Pontian, Batu Pahat and Kulai; nine districts each in Perak and Pahang; Kelantan and Terengganu (eight districts); Selangor (six), Sarawak (five), Kedah (four), and Negeri Sembilan and Melaka (three).
From the management aspect, he said the role of the district officer as the chairman of the District Disaster Management Committee (JPBD) is continually strengthened via continuous training involving other responders, including the district police chief and Social Welfare Department.
Khairul Shahril added that through the empowerment of the community-based disaster risk management programme (CBDRM), the role of the people as first responders is also increasingly encouraging, and their level of knowledge and awareness in the face of disasters is also on the rise.
— Bernama
