KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 — Heavy rain, thunderstorms, and strong winds may still occur from time to time in areas that are not typically affected by the northeast monsoon if atmospheric conditions are conducive to the formation of such extreme weather.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department's (MetMalaysia) deputy director-general Ambun Dindang said that apart from the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak, which are usually affected by extreme weather during this time, the west coast of all three regions could also experience similar conditions if atmospheric conditions supported the development of thunderstorms.
Among the main factors influencing extreme weather are wind direction and speed, as well as wind convergence in a particular area.
“Throughout the northeast monsoon season, the most concerning factor is the presence of monsoon surges, as they can cause continuous rainfall lasting between one and three days,” he said during the ‘Malaysia Petang Ini’ programme on Bernama TV today.
Ambun added that such prolonged rainfall could occur at moderate to heavy intensity and could increase the risk of disasters if the conditions persisted.
As a reminder to the public to remain prepared for disasters, he said that MetMalaysia typically issues warnings for thunderstorms, heavy rain, and strong winds at three levels of severity: Alert (Yellow), Warning (Orange), and Danger (Red).
“The alert level indicates a potential risk of extreme weather that still requires serious attention from the public.
“Although the monsoon is expected to end in March, the presence of monsoon surges that bring heavy rainfall can occur at any time and requires continuous monitoring,” Ambun said.
MetMalaysia also conducts 24-hour weather monitoring and issues early warnings as soon as signs of monsoon surges are detected.
He advised the public to always obtain the latest weather information from official MetMalaysia sources and to comply with authorities’ instructions, including evacuation orders, to reduce safety risks during extreme weather events.
