February 11, 2022
KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia will be a cool place to be in for the next week or so – literally.
Temperatures are expected to stay low until sometime next week due to cold surges as a result of the north-east monsoon.
Universiti Malaya’s Prof Datuk Dr Azizan Abu Samah said the country was entering the tail end of the monsoon, which is expected to end in March.
The cold surges will bring a drop in temperature of between 2°C and 3°C as the winds originate from Siberia, which is now experiencing temperatures of -25°C
“We can expect cool and wet weather conditions until the current surge ends sometime next week.
“This will then result in clearer skies but thunderstorms can still occur,” he said.
He said the lack of daytime cloud cover as a result of the north-east monsoon could also see areas such as Chuping in Perlis recording a maximum daytime temperature of 38°C or more.
“The occurrence of cold surges will also tend to increase the wind speed over the South China Sea and can produce waves of between 2m and 3m high, which can be dangerous to smaller fishing boats,” he said.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) said humid weather conditions are forecast especially for states on the East Coast.
MetMalaysia director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said there is also a high potential of thunderstorms occurring across states such as Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Johor until mid-February.
“There is also a high possibility of thunderstorms in West Coast states such as Selangor, Perak and Melaka, with heavy rains and strong winds,” he said.
He added that humid weather conditions are also expected in Sabah and Sarawak until March but the northern states of Perlis, Kedah and Penang are likely to stay dry.
He also advised the public to refer to the department’s website at met.gov.my, its social media platforms, as well as the myCuaca app for the latest information.
Meanwhile, extreme weather and lightning expert Hartono Zainal Abidin said the possibility of widespread thunderstorms and incidents of lightning or freak storms could not be ruled out due to the inter-monsoon period, which has arrived earlier this year.
“The strength and duration of these freak storms, however, depend on how high the cumulonimbus clouds are,” he said.
Hartono said it is nearly impossible to forecast exactly where and when these phenomena would occur, citing recent occurrences of freak storms and winds in Ipoh and Penang.
“The public should be wary when there are dark clouds which are usually associated with thunderstorms.
“Just like lightning, these freak storms can take place before rain falls,” he said.