SHAH ALAM, April 21 — Exceptionally humid atmospheric conditions and weak winds from several directions brought the abnormal heavy rain that caused flash floods in the Klang Valley yesterday, said Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip.
He said conditions favoured the creation of active thunderstorm clouds, particularly from afternoon to night, resulting in heavy rain within a short period.
“This produced high-intensity rain in a short time, which led to flash floods,” he told Kosmo! today.
Hisham added that heavy rain and thunderstorms are normal during the inter-monsoon phase, which began on March 29.
He said MetMalaysia data showed numerous stations in the Klang Valley had daily rainfall of more than 20mm, with Petaling Jaya recording 99.4mm, Subang logging 62mm, JAKOA Gombak 35.6mm, and Tennamaram Estate 26.8mm.
“Malaysia is currently going through the inter-monsoon phase, which is expected to continue until early May,” he said.
This period is characterised by more frequent thunderstorms, heavy rain, and powerful winds for brief periods of time due to weak winds from various directions.
He also said that in addition to western and interior Peninsular Malaysia, western Sabah and Sarawak are also affected, especially in the late afternoon and early evening.
He warned that thunderstorms with heavy rain and severe gusts are still possible in the coming days.
“This is usually concentrated in the evening to night in most areas in western Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak, as well as in the Sabah interior,” he said.
He urged the public to be aware of changing weather conditions and take precautions.
“Get the latest weather updates on MetMalaysia’s official website, the myCuaca app, or the agency’s official social media platforms,” Hisham said, adding that MetMalaysia’s hotline is also contactable at 1300-221-638.
