Air quality worsens slightly in the country
The air quality in Peninsular Malaysia has worsened slightly with Rompin in Pahang Air Pollutant Index (API) readings jumping from “unhealthy” to “very unhealthy” zone.
According to Department of Environment (DOE) data, the API recorded in Rompin was at 223 as at 4pm, yesterday.
On Saturday, Rompin’s API was “unhealthy” at 125.
Conditions in Kuala Lumpur remained at moderate levels during the weekend, with the API at between 65 and 67.
In Selangor, Johan Setia saw a slight increase in the API readings.
The reading recorded was at 95 compared to 92 on Saturday.
Other areas in Selangor such as in Banting (82), Petaling Jaya (81), and Shah Alam (83) maintained its “moderate” readings.
The API readings in Kedah and Perlis also worsened from “good” to “moderate”, while Sabah maintained its “good” API readings.
Other places nationwide such as in Negri Sembilan, Johor, Perak, Penang, Kelantan and Terengganu recorded “moderate” API levels.
Meanwhile, in Sarawak, Sri Aman posted an API reading of 252 and generally the haze situation here and in Miri is still bad.
The API reading worsened compared to Saturday which was at 247.
The air quality in SK Kuala Baram 2 station and the Miri Industrial Training Institute station both improved.
SK Kuala Baram 2 station recorded an API reading of 80 from 119, while the Miri Industrial Training Institute station recorded a reading of 161 from 222.
As of yesterday morning, the DOE recorded one “hot spot” (forest fire) in Sarawak
An API reading of between 0 and 50 is good, while 51 to 100 is moderate, 01 to 200 is unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and 301 and above is deemed hazardous.
The public can also refer to the Department of Environment (DoE) website at or by downloading the MyIPU smartphone app on ‘Google Play’ to get hourly API readings
According to the Asean Specialised Meterological Centre (ASMC) weather and haze outlook posted on Saturday at 6.25pm, it noted that hotspot activities in Sumatra and Kalimantan are likely to persist in the country.
ASMC’s satellite monitoring system has also indicated in recent times that open burning is also coming from that direction.
~News courtesy of The Star~
2019年8月19日星期一
2019年8月15日星期四
Sightseers unfazed by moderate haze
Sightseers unfazed by moderate haze
Poor visibility: Tourists taking in a bird’s eye view of the Kuala Lumpur skyline from KL Tower.
KUALA LUMPUR: While some people go out of their way to avoid the haze, there are others who embrace everything in their stride, such as sightseers.
Lidia Arimazni, 16, of Ampang said her parents were hesitant about letting her out of the house because of the haze.
“Usually, during school breaks, I’d want to go sightseeing with my friends and spend time with them.
“But during the Hari Raya Haji celebration, I could only go to a friend’s house, ” said Lidia at Kuala Lumpur City Centre yesterday.
She was finally allowed to visit KLCC with her friends during the school break.
Tourists from foreign countries are also unperturbed with the city’s air.
This could be due to Kuala Lumpur’s Air Pollution Index (API), which ranged from 70-75 yesterday, putting it under the “moderate” range.
Lars, 31, from Norway, agreed that the polluted air had affected the city view, and agreed that this is not an issue he faces in his country.
He added that the haze had not affected any of his plans here.
Bram, 30, from the Netherlands, takes a similar view, saying while the view could have been better, none of his plans had been hindered.He attributes the hazy air to “scooters” and “(older) cars”.
~The Star~
Poor visibility: Tourists taking in a bird’s eye view of the Kuala Lumpur skyline from KL Tower.
KUALA LUMPUR: While some people go out of their way to avoid the haze, there are others who embrace everything in their stride, such as sightseers.
Lidia Arimazni, 16, of Ampang said her parents were hesitant about letting her out of the house because of the haze.
“Usually, during school breaks, I’d want to go sightseeing with my friends and spend time with them.
“But during the Hari Raya Haji celebration, I could only go to a friend’s house, ” said Lidia at Kuala Lumpur City Centre yesterday.
She was finally allowed to visit KLCC with her friends during the school break.
Tourists from foreign countries are also unperturbed with the city’s air.
This could be due to Kuala Lumpur’s Air Pollution Index (API), which ranged from 70-75 yesterday, putting it under the “moderate” range.
Lars, 31, from Norway, agreed that the polluted air had affected the city view, and agreed that this is not an issue he faces in his country.
He added that the haze had not affected any of his plans here.
Bram, 30, from the Netherlands, takes a similar view, saying while the view could have been better, none of his plans had been hindered.He attributes the hazy air to “scooters” and “(older) cars”.
~The Star~
2019年8月8日星期四
Hot and dry weather in M'sia until October
Hot and dry weather in M'sia until October, says the weatherman
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): Malaysia is expected to experience hot and dry weather with less rainfall until October, says Deputy Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis.
She said apart from Malaysia, neighbouring countries Singapore and Sumatra in Indonesia are expected to experience the same weather pattern.
"We expect to experience a shortage of rainfall with warmer and drier weather this year without the El Nino and La Nina phenomena until October, " she said when asked about the essence of the 21st Technical Working Group (TWG) Meeting and the Ministerial Steering Committee Sub-Region on Cross-border Haze Pollution in Brunei.
She said this when contacted on the Bernama News Channel (BNC) talk showroom programme here Wednesday (Aug 7) night.
Commenting on the meeting, Isnaraissah said the five countries involved had presented measures taken to address fires and haze in their respective countries.
"Among the information shared was to carry out continuous monitoring of weather and hotspots, enforce the law and have the equipment prepared, mobilise human resources and co-ordinate fire-fighting, " she said.
The annual meeting involving four other Asean countries, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, was held to monitor and detail the steps taken in addressing cross-border haze.
The initiative to address the Asean haze problem began following a serious episode of pollution in 1997 that led to the Asean Convention on cross-border haze signed by 10 countries in Kuala Lumpur on June 10, 2002. - Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR (Bernama): Malaysia is expected to experience hot and dry weather with less rainfall until October, says Deputy Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Isnaraissah Munirah Majilis.
She said apart from Malaysia, neighbouring countries Singapore and Sumatra in Indonesia are expected to experience the same weather pattern.
"We expect to experience a shortage of rainfall with warmer and drier weather this year without the El Nino and La Nina phenomena until October, " she said when asked about the essence of the 21st Technical Working Group (TWG) Meeting and the Ministerial Steering Committee Sub-Region on Cross-border Haze Pollution in Brunei.
She said this when contacted on the Bernama News Channel (BNC) talk showroom programme here Wednesday (Aug 7) night.
Commenting on the meeting, Isnaraissah said the five countries involved had presented measures taken to address fires and haze in their respective countries.
"Among the information shared was to carry out continuous monitoring of weather and hotspots, enforce the law and have the equipment prepared, mobilise human resources and co-ordinate fire-fighting, " she said.
The annual meeting involving four other Asean countries, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand, was held to monitor and detail the steps taken in addressing cross-border haze.
The initiative to address the Asean haze problem began following a serious episode of pollution in 1997 that led to the Asean Convention on cross-border haze signed by 10 countries in Kuala Lumpur on June 10, 2002. - Bernama
2019年8月5日星期一
Haze situation under control despite dry spell
Haze situation under control despite dry spell
The haze situation appears to be under control despite the dry spell as the Air Pollutant Index (API) has not reached unhealthy levels in any parts of Malaysia.
In fact, good air quality was recorded in Kota Tinggi, Johor (API reading 50), Tawau, Sabah (46) and Limbang, Sarawak (47) at 6pm yesterday.
Air quality in other parts of Malaysia was at a moderate level.
An API reading of between 0 and 50 is good while 51 to 100 is moderate, 101 to 200 is unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and 301 and above deemed hazardous.
National Weather and Geophysics Operations Centre director Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said the air quality would return to normal soon as Indonesia had succeeded in its aggressive initiative to douse the raging forest fires.
He also noted that the two low-pressure cyclones in the West Pacific and the northern part of South China Sea would further suck the atmospheric moisture.
Several west coast states in the peninsula and Sarawak are also facing the haze following forest fires at six districts in Indonesia over the last four days.
The Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) warned that more hotspots could be expected in the first two weeks of August, particularly in the fire-prone provinces in Sumatra and Kalimantan in Indonesia, following warmer and drier than average conditions forecast over the southern Asean region.
In the northern Asean region, hotspot activities are expected to remain subdued due to prevailing rainy conditions, according to ASMC.
~News courtesy of The Star~
The haze situation appears to be under control despite the dry spell as the Air Pollutant Index (API) has not reached unhealthy levels in any parts of Malaysia.
In fact, good air quality was recorded in Kota Tinggi, Johor (API reading 50), Tawau, Sabah (46) and Limbang, Sarawak (47) at 6pm yesterday.
Air quality in other parts of Malaysia was at a moderate level.
An API reading of between 0 and 50 is good while 51 to 100 is moderate, 101 to 200 is unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and 301 and above deemed hazardous.
National Weather and Geophysics Operations Centre director Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said the air quality would return to normal soon as Indonesia had succeeded in its aggressive initiative to douse the raging forest fires.
He also noted that the two low-pressure cyclones in the West Pacific and the northern part of South China Sea would further suck the atmospheric moisture.
Several west coast states in the peninsula and Sarawak are also facing the haze following forest fires at six districts in Indonesia over the last four days.
The Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) warned that more hotspots could be expected in the first two weeks of August, particularly in the fire-prone provinces in Sumatra and Kalimantan in Indonesia, following warmer and drier than average conditions forecast over the southern Asean region.
In the northern Asean region, hotspot activities are expected to remain subdued due to prevailing rainy conditions, according to ASMC.
~News courtesy of The Star~
2019年2月14日星期四
Hot and dry days to last until April
Hot and dry days to last until April
It is searing hot and dry, with five areas in the country already placed on heatwave alert.
And there’s more “hot” news – Malaysians have to put up with this weather until April, at least.
The tail-end of the north-east monsoon next month will see less rain in most parts of the country.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), in a report on the country’s weather outlook from February to July, stated that most international climate models predicted a 65% possibility of the El Nino weather phenomenon occurring until May.
In the peninsula, Sik (Kedah), north Seberang Perai (Penang), Kinta and Kuala Kangsar (Perak) and Alor Gajah (Melaka) recorded temperatures of between 35°C and 37°C for three days in a row.
Throughout this month, the Department of Environment said most areas in the peninsula were likely to experience dry weather with less than 150mm rainfall.
It said Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor, Perlis, south Terengganu and Pahang will get slightly less average rainfall compared with the long-term average figure.
Kuching and Samarahan in Sarawak are expected to get more rain than average, while Miri is likely to be drier.
In Sabah, most parts of the state are forecast to receive less than average rainfall.
One level up from Category 1 (heatwave alert) is Category 2, which is when temperatures rise above 37°C for three consecutive days.
When this happens, the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry is empowered to officially declare a heatwave in that location.
This is to enable the relevant authorities to take follow-up action such as closing schools.
When an area hits Category 3 (when the temperature hits above 40°C three days in a row, which is considered the “emergency level”), the National Disaster Management Agency will be notified and the Prime Minister can declare an emergency.
According to the MetMalaysia report, the country’s weather until July will be influenced by three weather patterns – the north-east monsoon which ends in March, intermonsoon in April and south-west monsoon, which begins in May.
The start of the intermonsoon period is expected to see more thunderstorms in the west coast and interior of the peninsula, east coast of Sabah and central Sarawak.
In the meantime, the Fire and Rescue Department is on alert for more forest fires following a recent incident in Baling, Kedah.
~News courtesy of The Star~
It is searing hot and dry, with five areas in the country already placed on heatwave alert.
And there’s more “hot” news – Malaysians have to put up with this weather until April, at least.
The tail-end of the north-east monsoon next month will see less rain in most parts of the country.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), in a report on the country’s weather outlook from February to July, stated that most international climate models predicted a 65% possibility of the El Nino weather phenomenon occurring until May.
In the peninsula, Sik (Kedah), north Seberang Perai (Penang), Kinta and Kuala Kangsar (Perak) and Alor Gajah (Melaka) recorded temperatures of between 35°C and 37°C for three days in a row.
Throughout this month, the Department of Environment said most areas in the peninsula were likely to experience dry weather with less than 150mm rainfall.
It said Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor, Perlis, south Terengganu and Pahang will get slightly less average rainfall compared with the long-term average figure.
Kuching and Samarahan in Sarawak are expected to get more rain than average, while Miri is likely to be drier.
In Sabah, most parts of the state are forecast to receive less than average rainfall.
One level up from Category 1 (heatwave alert) is Category 2, which is when temperatures rise above 37°C for three consecutive days.
When this happens, the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry is empowered to officially declare a heatwave in that location.
This is to enable the relevant authorities to take follow-up action such as closing schools.
When an area hits Category 3 (when the temperature hits above 40°C three days in a row, which is considered the “emergency level”), the National Disaster Management Agency will be notified and the Prime Minister can declare an emergency.
According to the MetMalaysia report, the country’s weather until July will be influenced by three weather patterns – the north-east monsoon which ends in March, intermonsoon in April and south-west monsoon, which begins in May.
The start of the intermonsoon period is expected to see more thunderstorms in the west coast and interior of the peninsula, east coast of Sabah and central Sarawak.
In the meantime, the Fire and Rescue Department is on alert for more forest fires following a recent incident in Baling, Kedah.
~News courtesy of The Star~
2018年11月11日星期日
Prepare for stormy days ahead
Prepare for stormy days ahead, says weather department
Bring out your umbrellas and rubber boots because heavy rains are expected to lash out soon, bringing with it high chances of floodings.
Malaysian Meteorological Department director-general Alui Bahari said the north-east monsoon was expected to last until March and has already brought heavy rainfall to Kelantan and Terengganu.
Rain will make its way to Pahang and Johor before shifting to Sabah and Sarawak later in the season.
“These states are expected to experience four to six heavy rainfalls as in previous years,” he said.
“If heavy rainfall, high tides and strong winds occur, it could cause rivers to overflow,” he added.
The situation could be worsened by spring tides that take place during the new and full moons.
While the east coast is typically the worst hit by floods during the rainy season, west coast residents should also be on the alert.
Last year, Penang was also hit by major floods, where the state sought help from armed forces after winds and rain lashed out, causing landslides and falling trees.
However, Alui said he did not expect such rainfall over Penang and Kedah this season.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Professor of Climatology and Oceanography Prof Dr Fredolin Tangang said the country was entering the monsoon period earlier compared to the average mid-November onset date.
However, he said this was within the “natural variability” of the monsoon period, which was affected by phenomena such as El Nino.
“Sea surface temperatures in the Eastern-Central Pacific Ocean are warmer than usual, indicating the progression of a weak El Nino by year end or early next year,” he said.
Due to this, he said, there was likely to be heavier rainfall in southern Peninsular Malaysia, which includes Johor and the Klang Valley.
He added there was a low possibility of extreme rainfall, which could lead to large-scale flooding as the Kelantan and Terengganu floods in December 2014.
According to his research, three phenomena should take place for such extreme weather to occur.
Firstly, he said there should be cold surges from the north and secondly, the Borneo vortex, a wind circulation system should be located close to Peninsular Malaysia.
“The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) must also be active and its low pressure-centre must be located near West Sumatra,” he said.
The MJO is a phenomenon in which a low pressure system crosses eastward from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
The people can monitor weather and flood situations through http://portalbencana.nadma.gov.my and www.met.gov.my or download relevant mobile applications such as myCuaca and myJPS.
~News courtesy of The Star~
Bring out your umbrellas and rubber boots because heavy rains are expected to lash out soon, bringing with it high chances of floodings.
Malaysian Meteorological Department director-general Alui Bahari said the north-east monsoon was expected to last until March and has already brought heavy rainfall to Kelantan and Terengganu.
Rain will make its way to Pahang and Johor before shifting to Sabah and Sarawak later in the season.
“These states are expected to experience four to six heavy rainfalls as in previous years,” he said.
“If heavy rainfall, high tides and strong winds occur, it could cause rivers to overflow,” he added.
The situation could be worsened by spring tides that take place during the new and full moons.
While the east coast is typically the worst hit by floods during the rainy season, west coast residents should also be on the alert.
Last year, Penang was also hit by major floods, where the state sought help from armed forces after winds and rain lashed out, causing landslides and falling trees.
However, Alui said he did not expect such rainfall over Penang and Kedah this season.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Professor of Climatology and Oceanography Prof Dr Fredolin Tangang said the country was entering the monsoon period earlier compared to the average mid-November onset date.
However, he said this was within the “natural variability” of the monsoon period, which was affected by phenomena such as El Nino.
“Sea surface temperatures in the Eastern-Central Pacific Ocean are warmer than usual, indicating the progression of a weak El Nino by year end or early next year,” he said.
Due to this, he said, there was likely to be heavier rainfall in southern Peninsular Malaysia, which includes Johor and the Klang Valley.
He added there was a low possibility of extreme rainfall, which could lead to large-scale flooding as the Kelantan and Terengganu floods in December 2014.
According to his research, three phenomena should take place for such extreme weather to occur.
Firstly, he said there should be cold surges from the north and secondly, the Borneo vortex, a wind circulation system should be located close to Peninsular Malaysia.
“The Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) must also be active and its low pressure-centre must be located near West Sumatra,” he said.
The MJO is a phenomenon in which a low pressure system crosses eastward from the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.
The people can monitor weather and flood situations through http://portalbencana.nadma.gov.my and www.met.gov.my or download relevant mobile applications such as myCuaca and myJPS.
~News courtesy of The Star~
2018年3月25日星期日
Get weather updates through RakanMET
Get weather updates through RakanMET
Whichever part of Malaysia you are in, the RakanMET app allows you to share information and updates on the weather.
RakanMET aims to provide fast and accurate information to the public to ensure that they are better prepared to face extreme weather conditions.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau said the app was developed by his ministry (Mosti) through the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).
“Users can report weather-related incidents in their areas by uploading information onto the app.
“This is done to prevent irresponsible parties from uploading fake information on the app,” he said.
RakanMET is the second app to be developed by Mosti after myCuaca, which was launched in 2015 to provide the public with the latest weather information.
RakanMET was officially launched at the Sabah Weather and Earthquake Operations Centre on Friday, in conjunction with World Meteorological Day.
MetMalaysia director-general Alui Bahari was also present at the event to sign a memorandum of understanding with Universiti Putra Malaysia to mark their collaboration in the field of meteorological science.
~News courtesy of The Star~
Whichever part of Malaysia you are in, the RakanMET app allows you to share information and updates on the weather.
RakanMET aims to provide fast and accurate information to the public to ensure that they are better prepared to face extreme weather conditions.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau said the app was developed by his ministry (Mosti) through the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).
“Users can report weather-related incidents in their areas by uploading information onto the app.
“This is done to prevent irresponsible parties from uploading fake information on the app,” he said.
RakanMET is the second app to be developed by Mosti after myCuaca, which was launched in 2015 to provide the public with the latest weather information.
RakanMET was officially launched at the Sabah Weather and Earthquake Operations Centre on Friday, in conjunction with World Meteorological Day.
MetMalaysia director-general Alui Bahari was also present at the event to sign a memorandum of understanding with Universiti Putra Malaysia to mark their collaboration in the field of meteorological science.
~News courtesy of The Star~
2018年1月13日星期六
Heavy rain expected to hit several states
Heavy rain expected to hit several states
Heavy rain is expected to continue in several areas in Johor, Pahang, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, Terengganu and Sarawak until today.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department has issued a severe weather warning for several areas in Johor and Pahang.
“Heavy rain is expected to continue in Johor (Segamat, Kluang, Mersing, Kota Tinggi, Johor Baru and Kulai) and Pahang (Rompin, Pekan and Kuantan) today,” it said in a statement.
The department has also issued a weather warning alert for Negri Sembilan, Melaka, several areas in Johor including Tangkak, Muar, Batu Pahat and Pontian, and several areas in Pahang including Bentong, Temerloh, Maran, Bera and Jerantut.
~News courtesy of The Star~
Heavy rain is expected to continue in several areas in Johor, Pahang, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, Terengganu and Sarawak until today.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department has issued a severe weather warning for several areas in Johor and Pahang.
“Heavy rain is expected to continue in Johor (Segamat, Kluang, Mersing, Kota Tinggi, Johor Baru and Kulai) and Pahang (Rompin, Pekan and Kuantan) today,” it said in a statement.
The department has also issued a weather warning alert for Negri Sembilan, Melaka, several areas in Johor including Tangkak, Muar, Batu Pahat and Pontian, and several areas in Pahang including Bentong, Temerloh, Maran, Bera and Jerantut.
~News courtesy of The Star~
South-East Asia in the grip of chilly weather
South East Asia in the grip of chilly weather
Temperatures across South-east Asia have dipped beyond the norm in recent days, with non-stop rain and strong winds contributing to chillier tropics.
The thermostat has dropped to as low as 22°C in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and 17ºC in Bangkok, cold bouts have been reported in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, and ice slabs have even been found in parts of Myanmar.
The weather has become so chilly that Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tweeted on Friday (Jan 12): "Wow, Malaysia's weather is really cold today, just like in Jeddah!" He had just returned from a trip to Saudi Arabia.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department attributed the chill to the north-east monsoon, but did not expect temperatures to dip further. The agency forecasts all-day rain to last until Sunday in Kuala Lumpur.
Thailand has been experiencing a cold snap since last month, with fog blanketing its northern regions and frost forming on mountains.
In Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, the temperature fell to as low as 8ºC, the lowest this winter for the city.
Though Cambodia was also struck by the cold weather this week, it was not as bad as last month, when the temperature plunge caused a sweater-shopping frenzy, and baby elephants had to wear hand-knitted coats.
The Philippines has been experiencing generally colder weather too, a result of the El Nino-La Nina weather dynamics, and the chilling Arctic air called the polar vortex. "We have seen a cold blast in the Pacific and Atlantic regions," said the local weather bureau's forecaster Nikkos Penaranda. The lowest temperature recorded recently was 12.2ºC in the northern city of Baguio on Jan 1.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said it recorded moderately lower-than-usual temperatures in the Riau Islands, an Indonesian province closest to Singapore, and in Nusa Tenggara Timur, east of the country's main tourist island of Bali. On Friday, the two locations registered temperatures of 23ºC to 25ºC.
All other provinces are seeing relatively normal temperatures, state weather forecaster Risda Novikarani told The Straits Times.
Over in South Asia, the northern parts of India were also in the midst of a cold spell, but meteorological officials said this was well within the range for winter months. "Temperatures have fallen and the cold wave condition is more severe in January than December," said Mahesh Palawat, director of private weather forecaster Skymet. "It is a normal winter."
According to India's Meteorological Department, minimum temperatures in most parts of northern India this week continued to be between 5ºC and 10ºC, and would remain so until Monday (Jan 15).
~The Straits Times/Asia News Network~
Temperatures across South-east Asia have dipped beyond the norm in recent days, with non-stop rain and strong winds contributing to chillier tropics.
The thermostat has dropped to as low as 22°C in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and 17ºC in Bangkok, cold bouts have been reported in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines, and ice slabs have even been found in parts of Myanmar.
The weather has become so chilly that Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tweeted on Friday (Jan 12): "Wow, Malaysia's weather is really cold today, just like in Jeddah!" He had just returned from a trip to Saudi Arabia.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department attributed the chill to the north-east monsoon, but did not expect temperatures to dip further. The agency forecasts all-day rain to last until Sunday in Kuala Lumpur.
Thailand has been experiencing a cold snap since last month, with fog blanketing its northern regions and frost forming on mountains.
In Hanoi, the Vietnamese capital, the temperature fell to as low as 8ºC, the lowest this winter for the city.
Though Cambodia was also struck by the cold weather this week, it was not as bad as last month, when the temperature plunge caused a sweater-shopping frenzy, and baby elephants had to wear hand-knitted coats.
The Philippines has been experiencing generally colder weather too, a result of the El Nino-La Nina weather dynamics, and the chilling Arctic air called the polar vortex. "We have seen a cold blast in the Pacific and Atlantic regions," said the local weather bureau's forecaster Nikkos Penaranda. The lowest temperature recorded recently was 12.2ºC in the northern city of Baguio on Jan 1.
Meanwhile, Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency said it recorded moderately lower-than-usual temperatures in the Riau Islands, an Indonesian province closest to Singapore, and in Nusa Tenggara Timur, east of the country's main tourist island of Bali. On Friday, the two locations registered temperatures of 23ºC to 25ºC.
All other provinces are seeing relatively normal temperatures, state weather forecaster Risda Novikarani told The Straits Times.
Over in South Asia, the northern parts of India were also in the midst of a cold spell, but meteorological officials said this was well within the range for winter months. "Temperatures have fallen and the cold wave condition is more severe in January than December," said Mahesh Palawat, director of private weather forecaster Skymet. "It is a normal winter."
According to India's Meteorological Department, minimum temperatures in most parts of northern India this week continued to be between 5ºC and 10ºC, and would remain so until Monday (Jan 15).
~The Straits Times/Asia News Network~
2017年11月13日星期一
Expect more rain until January, says weatherman
Expect more rain until January, says weatherman
The start of the northeast monsoon today will bring more rain to the east coast of the peninsula and parts of Sabah and Sarawak.
The wet season is expected to last until January.
MetMalaysia director-general Alui Bahari said the northeastern winds from the South China Sea will mark the start of the monsoon season.
“Right now, the winds are still from the southwest, they are variable, but by tomorrow, they will persist from the northeast,” said Alui when contacted yesterday.
He said an episode would range between three and four days of moderate to heavy rain.
This monsoon season is expected to see four to five such episodes.
MetMalaysia has its own colour coding for rainfall, with yellow indicating heavy rain is expected within the next one to three days, and if there is continuous rain, it will not last for more than six hours and the rainfall will be less than 60mm.
Meanwhile, orange indicates continuous heavy rain that will exceed six hours and rainfall collection of at least 60mm while red shows continuous heavy rain exceeding 240mm a day.
Alui said the department would also be monitoring wind speeds and wave heights, as monsoon winds could whip up waves.
For the day’s weather forecast, log on to www.met.gov.my/in/web/metmalaysia/forecasts/general/country.
~News courtesy of The Star~
The start of the northeast monsoon today will bring more rain to the east coast of the peninsula and parts of Sabah and Sarawak.
The wet season is expected to last until January.
MetMalaysia director-general Alui Bahari said the northeastern winds from the South China Sea will mark the start of the monsoon season.
“Right now, the winds are still from the southwest, they are variable, but by tomorrow, they will persist from the northeast,” said Alui when contacted yesterday.
He said an episode would range between three and four days of moderate to heavy rain.
This monsoon season is expected to see four to five such episodes.
MetMalaysia has its own colour coding for rainfall, with yellow indicating heavy rain is expected within the next one to three days, and if there is continuous rain, it will not last for more than six hours and the rainfall will be less than 60mm.
Meanwhile, orange indicates continuous heavy rain that will exceed six hours and rainfall collection of at least 60mm while red shows continuous heavy rain exceeding 240mm a day.
Alui said the department would also be monitoring wind speeds and wave heights, as monsoon winds could whip up waves.
For the day’s weather forecast, log on to www.met.gov.my/in/web/metmalaysia/forecasts/general/country.
~News courtesy of The Star~
2017年6月21日星期三
Clear skies expected over Raya
Clear skies expected over Raya
It will likely be a sunny Hari Raya Aidilfitri this year in most parts of Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak.
The date for sighting the Syawal new moon to determine when Aidilfitri falls has been set for June 24, and many expect Hari Raya to start the next day.
Malaysian Meteorological Department director-general Alui Bahari said a detailed forecast for the Hari Raya Aidilfitri period will only be released today but added that the weather is generally expected to be dry due to the current south-west monsoon.
The south-west monsoon started on May 17, and will continue until September, typically associated with lower rainfall in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak.
“There is always heavy traffic on the highways during the Raya period, but good weather conditions will hopefully help to make journeys safer as the roads are dry and visibility is better,” said Alui.
The volume of vehicles that will hit the roads starting this week as families make their way back to their hometowns is expected to grow.
PLUS Malaysia Bhd said traffic plying the North-South Expressway during peak days starting Wednesday to July 3 is set to hit 1.7 million vehicles per day.
The figure is an increase of 30% from the reported 1.2 million vehicles during the Raya peak period two years ago.
Another highway concessionaire, Lingkaran Trans Kota Sdn Bhd (Litrak), expects a 10% increase in the number of vehicles on the Sprint and Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP) highways in Selangor as the Hari Raya celebration draws closer.
The LDP, which is normally used by more than 470,000 vehicles each week, may see an increase of about 10,000 vehicles this week.
Association of Highway Concessionaires Malaysia said in a statement that the volume of traffic is expected to increase by between 30% and 40% during the coming Raya period compared to normal times.
“The Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway, East Coast Expressway (LPT1) and East Coast Highway 2 (LPT2) is expected to see an increase of 50% in traffic volume,” the statement said.
To cope with the traffic volume, PLUS has issued a travel time advisory to help the public plan their journey and to distribute traffic between June 21 and July 3.
Those planning to travel from the Klang Valley to their hometowns in Perlis, Kedah, Penang, northern Perak and Johor are advised to enter the highway before 10am.
Those heading towards nearer destinations such as in Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, southern Perak and central Perak, are advised to start their journey and enter the North-South Expressway after 10am on designated days.
Meanwhile, Penang is expecting an influx of visitors who are set to take advantage of the four-day Aidilfitri holiday.
“Last year, the traffic was not so bad, but it is too early to predict the congestion this year,” said state traffic police enforcement chief Supt Roslan Ali.
He added that traffic police would be out daily under Ops Selamat from now until July 2.
Malaysian Hoteliers Association Penang Chapter chairman Khoo Boo Lim said most hotels in the state were almost full.
“Penang is a top choice for local tourists and many are definitely coming here during the break,” he added.
~News courtesy of The Star~
It will likely be a sunny Hari Raya Aidilfitri this year in most parts of Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak.
The date for sighting the Syawal new moon to determine when Aidilfitri falls has been set for June 24, and many expect Hari Raya to start the next day.
Malaysian Meteorological Department director-general Alui Bahari said a detailed forecast for the Hari Raya Aidilfitri period will only be released today but added that the weather is generally expected to be dry due to the current south-west monsoon.
The south-west monsoon started on May 17, and will continue until September, typically associated with lower rainfall in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak.
“There is always heavy traffic on the highways during the Raya period, but good weather conditions will hopefully help to make journeys safer as the roads are dry and visibility is better,” said Alui.
The volume of vehicles that will hit the roads starting this week as families make their way back to their hometowns is expected to grow.
PLUS Malaysia Bhd said traffic plying the North-South Expressway during peak days starting Wednesday to July 3 is set to hit 1.7 million vehicles per day.
The figure is an increase of 30% from the reported 1.2 million vehicles during the Raya peak period two years ago.
Another highway concessionaire, Lingkaran Trans Kota Sdn Bhd (Litrak), expects a 10% increase in the number of vehicles on the Sprint and Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP) highways in Selangor as the Hari Raya celebration draws closer.
The LDP, which is normally used by more than 470,000 vehicles each week, may see an increase of about 10,000 vehicles this week.
Association of Highway Concessionaires Malaysia said in a statement that the volume of traffic is expected to increase by between 30% and 40% during the coming Raya period compared to normal times.
“The Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway, East Coast Expressway (LPT1) and East Coast Highway 2 (LPT2) is expected to see an increase of 50% in traffic volume,” the statement said.
To cope with the traffic volume, PLUS has issued a travel time advisory to help the public plan their journey and to distribute traffic between June 21 and July 3.
Those planning to travel from the Klang Valley to their hometowns in Perlis, Kedah, Penang, northern Perak and Johor are advised to enter the highway before 10am.
Those heading towards nearer destinations such as in Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Melaka, southern Perak and central Perak, are advised to start their journey and enter the North-South Expressway after 10am on designated days.
Meanwhile, Penang is expecting an influx of visitors who are set to take advantage of the four-day Aidilfitri holiday.
“Last year, the traffic was not so bad, but it is too early to predict the congestion this year,” said state traffic police enforcement chief Supt Roslan Ali.
He added that traffic police would be out daily under Ops Selamat from now until July 2.
Malaysian Hoteliers Association Penang Chapter chairman Khoo Boo Lim said most hotels in the state were almost full.
“Penang is a top choice for local tourists and many are definitely coming here during the break,” he added.
~News courtesy of The Star~
2017年6月1日星期四
Dry weather expected soon in Klang Valley
MetMalaysia: Dry weather expected soon in Klang Valley
The downpours causing flash floods in parts of the Klang Valley are expected to give way to dry weather this month, said the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).
While the southwest monsoon, which started on May 17, was generally associated with lower rainfall in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak, the reduction was a gradual process, said MetMalaysia director-general Alui Bahari.
“The current wet weather is forecast to gradually subside, starting this month, after the wind patterns of the southwest monsoon strengthen and become uniform.
“From June, the amount of rainfall in the Klang Valley will gradually reduce,” Alui said.
Despite heavy rain in the evenings the past week, data from meteorological stations in Klang Valley for last month showed that the rainfall was within normal levels, he said.
He added that the dry weather expected to start this month was not expected to be severe.
Alui said the southwest monsoon was expected to last until September and will be followed by the intermonsoon period beginning October.
During that period, the west coast of the peninsula, including the Klang Valley, will experience thunderstorms, especially in the evenings.
According to the MetMalaysia website, there are four seasons in Malaysia – southwest monsoon (May to September), northeast monsoon (early November to March), and the intermonsoon periods.
The northeast monsoon tends to bring heavy rain to the east coast of peninsular Malaysia, the western part of Sarawak, and the northeast of Sabah.
~News courtesy of The Star~
The downpours causing flash floods in parts of the Klang Valley are expected to give way to dry weather this month, said the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).
While the southwest monsoon, which started on May 17, was generally associated with lower rainfall in Peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak, the reduction was a gradual process, said MetMalaysia director-general Alui Bahari.
“The current wet weather is forecast to gradually subside, starting this month, after the wind patterns of the southwest monsoon strengthen and become uniform.
“From June, the amount of rainfall in the Klang Valley will gradually reduce,” Alui said.
Despite heavy rain in the evenings the past week, data from meteorological stations in Klang Valley for last month showed that the rainfall was within normal levels, he said.
He added that the dry weather expected to start this month was not expected to be severe.
Alui said the southwest monsoon was expected to last until September and will be followed by the intermonsoon period beginning October.
During that period, the west coast of the peninsula, including the Klang Valley, will experience thunderstorms, especially in the evenings.
According to the MetMalaysia website, there are four seasons in Malaysia – southwest monsoon (May to September), northeast monsoon (early November to March), and the intermonsoon periods.
The northeast monsoon tends to bring heavy rain to the east coast of peninsular Malaysia, the western part of Sarawak, and the northeast of Sabah.
~News courtesy of The Star~
2017年5月18日星期四
Hot, dry days until September
Hot, dry days until September
The southwest monsoon has brought with it hotter and drier weather to peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak.
Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Alui Bahari said the monsoon season started yesterday.
He said the southwest monsoon came after the end of the inter-monsoon period which brought heavy rains to the peninsula last month.
The monsoon is expected to last until September.
“Generally, during the southwest monsoon, the country will experience lower rainfall in the peninsula and Sarawak,” Alui said in an email.
He said there would be more dry days ahead than wet ones in these two areas during this period.
“But Sabah will receive more rain than other states” he added.
According to the MetMalaysia website, there are four seasons in Malaysia - the southwest monsoon (May to September), northeast monsoon (early November to March), and two inter-monsoon seasons in between.
Rain is only expected to return in October during the next inter-monsoon period.
The northeast monsoon will bring heavy rain to the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, west Sarawak and the northeast of Sabah.
Meanwhile, to escape the hot weather, more people have been seeking shelter in shopping malls
Malaysia Shopping Malls Association adviser HC Chan said families would spend more time in malls when the weather got hotter.
“They will have many options including going to the restaurants and shops to escape the heat,” he said.
Chan said since the hot spell began recently, there has been a 10% increase in the number of visitors to shopping malls in the Klang Valley.
~News courtesy of The Star~
The southwest monsoon has brought with it hotter and drier weather to peninsular Malaysia and Sarawak.
Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Alui Bahari said the monsoon season started yesterday.
He said the southwest monsoon came after the end of the inter-monsoon period which brought heavy rains to the peninsula last month.
The monsoon is expected to last until September.
“Generally, during the southwest monsoon, the country will experience lower rainfall in the peninsula and Sarawak,” Alui said in an email.
He said there would be more dry days ahead than wet ones in these two areas during this period.
“But Sabah will receive more rain than other states” he added.
According to the MetMalaysia website, there are four seasons in Malaysia - the southwest monsoon (May to September), northeast monsoon (early November to March), and two inter-monsoon seasons in between.
Rain is only expected to return in October during the next inter-monsoon period.
The northeast monsoon will bring heavy rain to the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, west Sarawak and the northeast of Sabah.
Meanwhile, to escape the hot weather, more people have been seeking shelter in shopping malls
Malaysia Shopping Malls Association adviser HC Chan said families would spend more time in malls when the weather got hotter.
“They will have many options including going to the restaurants and shops to escape the heat,” he said.
Chan said since the hot spell began recently, there has been a 10% increase in the number of visitors to shopping malls in the Klang Valley.
~News courtesy of The Star~
2016年12月28日星期三
Get ready for a wet, wet new year
Get ready for a wet, wet new year
Downpours and intermittent showers around the country are expected to persist until the end of the year causing floods especially in the east coast states.
The Meteorological Department issued a heavy rain warning for Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan with Maran, Bera, Rompin, Pekan, Kuantan and Jerantut in Pahang, and Terengganu likely to experience moderate intermittent showers until Wednesday during the mid north-east monsoon season.
“The heavy rain warning (Orange Stage) issued at 10.15pm on Dec 25 is still valid,” it said in a Facebook posting yesterday.
It said Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya were set to experience isolated rain until the new year mostly in the afternoon and evening.
Terengganu was on high alert between Dec 13 and Dec 22 following an earlier forecast of heavy rains and high tides of up to 3.5m in Kemaman.
The first wave of floods in several states in the peninsula had receded, but the wet weather due to the North-East monsoon will persist for those living in the east coast.
Early this year, authorities were pre-occupied with the big clean-up following the big floods that swamped many states, especially in the east coast.
Torrential rain which lasted for days caused several main rivers such as Sungai Galas, Sungai Lebir, Sungai Nenggiri and Sungai Kelantan to burst their banks, submerging almost all of the state’s districts.
Statistics from the Kelantan National Security Council showed that over 170,000 families were relocated to 170 relief centres at the height of the floods.
Kuala Krai was among the worst hit districts with 16,734 families reportedly affected.
This year, the authorities are already on standby while flood simulation exercises have been carried out with the Fire and Rescue Department as part of preparation to face the rainy season.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Madius Tangau had said Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and eastern Johor were expected to get more than 500mm of rainfall this month.
Heavy rain is expected over Kelantan beginning yesterday until Wednesday.
Johor and Sarawak (Kuching, Samarahan, Serian, Sri Aman, Betong, Sarikei, Sibu, Mukah and Bintulu divisions) can also expect heavy downpours from Wednesday until Friday.
Updates on the weather conditions are available on MetMalaysia’s website at www.met.gov.my, myCuaca mobile application, Facebook malaysiamet, Twitter @malaysianmet or MetMalaysia Hotline 1-300-22-1638.
~News courtesy of The Star~
Downpours and intermittent showers around the country are expected to persist until the end of the year causing floods especially in the east coast states.
The Meteorological Department issued a heavy rain warning for Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan with Maran, Bera, Rompin, Pekan, Kuantan and Jerantut in Pahang, and Terengganu likely to experience moderate intermittent showers until Wednesday during the mid north-east monsoon season.
“The heavy rain warning (Orange Stage) issued at 10.15pm on Dec 25 is still valid,” it said in a Facebook posting yesterday.
It said Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Putrajaya were set to experience isolated rain until the new year mostly in the afternoon and evening.
Terengganu was on high alert between Dec 13 and Dec 22 following an earlier forecast of heavy rains and high tides of up to 3.5m in Kemaman.
The first wave of floods in several states in the peninsula had receded, but the wet weather due to the North-East monsoon will persist for those living in the east coast.
Early this year, authorities were pre-occupied with the big clean-up following the big floods that swamped many states, especially in the east coast.
Torrential rain which lasted for days caused several main rivers such as Sungai Galas, Sungai Lebir, Sungai Nenggiri and Sungai Kelantan to burst their banks, submerging almost all of the state’s districts.
Statistics from the Kelantan National Security Council showed that over 170,000 families were relocated to 170 relief centres at the height of the floods.
Kuala Krai was among the worst hit districts with 16,734 families reportedly affected.
This year, the authorities are already on standby while flood simulation exercises have been carried out with the Fire and Rescue Department as part of preparation to face the rainy season.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Madius Tangau had said Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and eastern Johor were expected to get more than 500mm of rainfall this month.
Heavy rain is expected over Kelantan beginning yesterday until Wednesday.
Johor and Sarawak (Kuching, Samarahan, Serian, Sri Aman, Betong, Sarikei, Sibu, Mukah and Bintulu divisions) can also expect heavy downpours from Wednesday until Friday.
Updates on the weather conditions are available on MetMalaysia’s website at www.met.gov.my, myCuaca mobile application, Facebook malaysiamet, Twitter @malaysianmet or MetMalaysia Hotline 1-300-22-1638.
~News courtesy of The Star~
2016年8月31日星期三
Air quality improves after downpour in Klang Valley
Air quality improves after downpour in Klang Valley
The Air Pollutant Index (API) levels in several areas in the Klang Valley have improved following a downpour on Tuesday morning.
As of 11am, the API readings in Cheras (92), Batu Muda (95), Putrajaya and Banting (99) recorded moderate levels.
The API readings in two areas, namely Nilai (112) and Shah Alam (103), remain at unhealthy levels.
But this marks a slight improvement in air quality where at 8am, four areas Nilai (120), Banting (102), Putrajaya (103), and Shah Alam (105) had reached unhealthy levels.
Earlier, downpours in several areas in the Klang Valley, which lasted more than two hours, had caused massive traffic delays, resulting in flash floods in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.
According to the Department of Environment website, an API reading of below 50 is considered good, between 51-100 moderate, a reading of 101-200 is unhealthy, 201-300 very unhealthy and more than 300 is considered hazardous.
~News courtesy of The Star~
The Air Pollutant Index (API) levels in several areas in the Klang Valley have improved following a downpour on Tuesday morning.
As of 11am, the API readings in Cheras (92), Batu Muda (95), Putrajaya and Banting (99) recorded moderate levels.
The API readings in two areas, namely Nilai (112) and Shah Alam (103), remain at unhealthy levels.
But this marks a slight improvement in air quality where at 8am, four areas Nilai (120), Banting (102), Putrajaya (103), and Shah Alam (105) had reached unhealthy levels.
Earlier, downpours in several areas in the Klang Valley, which lasted more than two hours, had caused massive traffic delays, resulting in flash floods in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.
According to the Department of Environment website, an API reading of below 50 is considered good, between 51-100 moderate, a reading of 101-200 is unhealthy, 201-300 very unhealthy and more than 300 is considered hazardous.
~News courtesy of The Star~
2016年8月30日星期二
Unhealthy air quality in Klang Valley
Unhealthy air quality in Klang Valley despite moderate API readings
Filepic of haze in the Klang Valley
The haze has visibly returned to the Klang Valley despite the fact that Air Pollutant Index (API) on the Department of Environment’s (DOE) website reported ‘good’ to ‘moderate’ readings.
Residents noticed a sharp drop in the air quality Monday and could smell it in the air, with several parts in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor recording poor visibility.
However, some may be left puzzled as API readings for Petaling Jaya was 46, Shah Alam (51), Port Klang (55), Putrajaya (61) and Cheras (45) as at 11am.
According to the DOE, the API readings are based on an average of readings over the previous 24 hours.
For example, the API readings reported on 10am on Monday would be the average reading taken between that time and 10am on the previous day.
Last Friday, acrid smog blanketed Singapore as the city-state was hit by the year’s first major outbreak of haze, an annual crisis sparked by forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia.
API readings are determined based on an international acceptable protocol which calculates the 24 hour averaging times for five criteria pollutants namely Particulate Matter of less than 10 micron (PM10), Sulphur Dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, Ground Level Ozone and Carbon Monoxide.
API readings of between 0-50 are considered good, moderate (51-100), unhealthy (101-200), very unhealthy (201-300) and dangerous (exceeding 301).
Any reading above 300 is “hazardous”, meaning the air quality is a hazard to high risk individuals and the public health in general.
~News courtesy of The Star~
Filepic of haze in the Klang Valley
The haze has visibly returned to the Klang Valley despite the fact that Air Pollutant Index (API) on the Department of Environment’s (DOE) website reported ‘good’ to ‘moderate’ readings.
Residents noticed a sharp drop in the air quality Monday and could smell it in the air, with several parts in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor recording poor visibility.
However, some may be left puzzled as API readings for Petaling Jaya was 46, Shah Alam (51), Port Klang (55), Putrajaya (61) and Cheras (45) as at 11am.
According to the DOE, the API readings are based on an average of readings over the previous 24 hours.
For example, the API readings reported on 10am on Monday would be the average reading taken between that time and 10am on the previous day.
Last Friday, acrid smog blanketed Singapore as the city-state was hit by the year’s first major outbreak of haze, an annual crisis sparked by forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia.
API readings are determined based on an international acceptable protocol which calculates the 24 hour averaging times for five criteria pollutants namely Particulate Matter of less than 10 micron (PM10), Sulphur Dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, Ground Level Ozone and Carbon Monoxide.
API readings of between 0-50 are considered good, moderate (51-100), unhealthy (101-200), very unhealthy (201-300) and dangerous (exceeding 301).
Any reading above 300 is “hazardous”, meaning the air quality is a hazard to high risk individuals and the public health in general.
~News courtesy of The Star~
2015年10月21日星期三
Haze will not last till March 2016
Haze will not last till March 2016
The haze affecting the country currently will not last till March 2016, as claimed by certain parties.
"The current haze situation is caused by typhoon Champi and Typhoon Koppu, east of the Philippines, and when these typhoons hit landfall, the winds will change and the haze situation will improve after Oct 26," said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Madius Tangau in a statement today.
Madius said the coming northeast monsoon season from November will see a change in wind direction and will no longer carry over haze from Indonesia to Malaysia, despite the Indonesian forest fires expected to last until March.
Meanwhile, rainfall is expected to decrease nationwide due to typhoon Koppu, thus making the haze situation even worse.
According to the Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) weather outlook, typhoon Koppu is currently 1,187km north-east of Kudat, Sabah. It will eventually head north-west towards Taiwan.
In addition, typhoon Champi located 2,942km north-east of Kudat is slowly heading north.
The presence of both typhoons has affected the wind patterns across the country as a result, especially rainfall due to the moderate south-westerly winds.
Separately, the Department of Environment recorded 3,534 cases of open burning detected nationwide, from the start of the year to Oct 19.
As of 6pm today, a total of 27 areas recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings, with Port Klang with the highest at 179, followed by Shah Alam at 164, and Kuala Selangor at 139.
~News courtesy of The Sun~
The haze affecting the country currently will not last till March 2016, as claimed by certain parties.
"The current haze situation is caused by typhoon Champi and Typhoon Koppu, east of the Philippines, and when these typhoons hit landfall, the winds will change and the haze situation will improve after Oct 26," said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Madius Tangau in a statement today.
Madius said the coming northeast monsoon season from November will see a change in wind direction and will no longer carry over haze from Indonesia to Malaysia, despite the Indonesian forest fires expected to last until March.
Meanwhile, rainfall is expected to decrease nationwide due to typhoon Koppu, thus making the haze situation even worse.
According to the Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) weather outlook, typhoon Koppu is currently 1,187km north-east of Kudat, Sabah. It will eventually head north-west towards Taiwan.
In addition, typhoon Champi located 2,942km north-east of Kudat is slowly heading north.
The presence of both typhoons has affected the wind patterns across the country as a result, especially rainfall due to the moderate south-westerly winds.
Separately, the Department of Environment recorded 3,534 cases of open burning detected nationwide, from the start of the year to Oct 19.
As of 6pm today, a total of 27 areas recorded unhealthy Air Pollutant Index (API) readings, with Port Klang with the highest at 179, followed by Shah Alam at 164, and Kuala Selangor at 139.
~News courtesy of The Sun~
2015年9月23日星期三
Haze expected late this evening
Haze expected late this evening
The air quality nationwide which was reported to be improving since this morning, is expected to see the return of the haze late this evening.
A spokesman for the Malaysian Meteorological Department, Dr Hisham Mohd Anip said a tropical cyclone wind currently taking shape in the eastern Philippines would push the wind carrying the haze from Indonesia to Malaysia.
"If this happens, the wind changes that usually occur gradually, are expected to bring back the haze late this evening.
"For sure, starting tomorrow the air quality will begin to be affected," he told Bernama today.
"He said the haze was expected to linger for the next seven to 10 days, while the level of the Air Pollutant Index (API) was also dependent on the speed of the cyclonic winds, as well as rate of forest burning activities in Indonesia.
According to the Department of Environment (DOE) portal, 14 areas recorded healthy API readings as at 1pm, with Sandakan recording a reading of 22, Industrial Training Institute Miri (24), Limbang and Tanjung Malim (28) and Kapit (31).
The other areas are Keningau (33), Kota Kinabalu (39), Miri and Kuala Selangor (42), Jerantut and Perai (45), Kangar (49), Muar (47), and Bintulu (50). Meanwhile, 32 areas registered moderate API readings with Banting recording the highest moderate reading at 80.
No region recorded unhealthy API readings. API readings of 0-50 is categorised as good, 51-100 (moderate), 101-200 (unhealthy), 201-300 (very unhealthy) and 301 and above (hazardous).
The public can visit the website at http://apims.doe.gov.my/v2/ to obtain the current API readings.
~News courtesy of Bernama~
The air quality nationwide which was reported to be improving since this morning, is expected to see the return of the haze late this evening.
A spokesman for the Malaysian Meteorological Department, Dr Hisham Mohd Anip said a tropical cyclone wind currently taking shape in the eastern Philippines would push the wind carrying the haze from Indonesia to Malaysia.
"If this happens, the wind changes that usually occur gradually, are expected to bring back the haze late this evening.
"For sure, starting tomorrow the air quality will begin to be affected," he told Bernama today.
"He said the haze was expected to linger for the next seven to 10 days, while the level of the Air Pollutant Index (API) was also dependent on the speed of the cyclonic winds, as well as rate of forest burning activities in Indonesia.
According to the Department of Environment (DOE) portal, 14 areas recorded healthy API readings as at 1pm, with Sandakan recording a reading of 22, Industrial Training Institute Miri (24), Limbang and Tanjung Malim (28) and Kapit (31).
The other areas are Keningau (33), Kota Kinabalu (39), Miri and Kuala Selangor (42), Jerantut and Perai (45), Kangar (49), Muar (47), and Bintulu (50). Meanwhile, 32 areas registered moderate API readings with Banting recording the highest moderate reading at 80.
No region recorded unhealthy API readings. API readings of 0-50 is categorised as good, 51-100 (moderate), 101-200 (unhealthy), 201-300 (very unhealthy) and 301 and above (hazardous).
The public can visit the website at http://apims.doe.gov.my/v2/ to obtain the current API readings.
~News courtesy of Bernama~
2015年9月8日星期二
Air quality in Peninsular Malaysia remains bad
Air quality in Peninsular Malaysia remains bad
Air quality remained bad today as the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia continued to be blanketed by a heavy shroud of haze, with many coastal cities recording an unhealthy reading on the Air Pollutant Index (API).
According to readings published on the Department of Environment's (DOE) website, six locations including Seremban, Malacca, and Putrajaya were rated as unhealthy (100-200) on the API as at 5pm today.
The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry said in a statement today that the haze is caused by open burning of forests and land in Sumatera, Indonesia according to satellite images captured by the Singaporean based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The agency detected 132 hot spots in Kalimantan, Indonesia, alone, while only one hot spot was detected in Sumatera due to incomplete satellite coverage as of Sunday.
According to satellite coverage, the ministry said, the haze is expected to spread to Pahang and to east Johor in the next 48 hours while in East Malaysia the haze from Kalimantan is expected to spread to west Sarawak and the waters surrounding both Sabah and Sarawak in the same period of time.
The ministry said the country is still experiencing the southwest monsoon phase that is expected to end by mid-September and noted that the haze will likely dissipate by the monsoon transition phase in October.
Meanwhile, the Environment Department will continue monitoring the status and trend of air quality on an hourly basis due to the uncertain haze situation and increased hot spots in Sumatera and Kalimantan.
All government agencies relevant to haze disaster response have also stepped up efforts in preventing open burning locally that will worsen the already unhealthy air quality.
Local governments and land owners have also been instructed to closely monitor and take preventive actions in places that could easily catch fire such as waste disposal spots, forests, farm land, and industrial complexes.
Meanwhile, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar will also head to Indonesia as soon as possible to meet his counterpart there to discuss solutions and to finalise a memorandum of understanding on cross-border haze prevention.
~News courtesy of The Sun~
Air quality remained bad today as the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia continued to be blanketed by a heavy shroud of haze, with many coastal cities recording an unhealthy reading on the Air Pollutant Index (API).
According to readings published on the Department of Environment's (DOE) website, six locations including Seremban, Malacca, and Putrajaya were rated as unhealthy (100-200) on the API as at 5pm today.
The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry said in a statement today that the haze is caused by open burning of forests and land in Sumatera, Indonesia according to satellite images captured by the Singaporean based National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The agency detected 132 hot spots in Kalimantan, Indonesia, alone, while only one hot spot was detected in Sumatera due to incomplete satellite coverage as of Sunday.
According to satellite coverage, the ministry said, the haze is expected to spread to Pahang and to east Johor in the next 48 hours while in East Malaysia the haze from Kalimantan is expected to spread to west Sarawak and the waters surrounding both Sabah and Sarawak in the same period of time.
The ministry said the country is still experiencing the southwest monsoon phase that is expected to end by mid-September and noted that the haze will likely dissipate by the monsoon transition phase in October.
Meanwhile, the Environment Department will continue monitoring the status and trend of air quality on an hourly basis due to the uncertain haze situation and increased hot spots in Sumatera and Kalimantan.
All government agencies relevant to haze disaster response have also stepped up efforts in preventing open burning locally that will worsen the already unhealthy air quality.
Local governments and land owners have also been instructed to closely monitor and take preventive actions in places that could easily catch fire such as waste disposal spots, forests, farm land, and industrial complexes.
Meanwhile, Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar will also head to Indonesia as soon as possible to meet his counterpart there to discuss solutions and to finalise a memorandum of understanding on cross-border haze prevention.
~News courtesy of The Sun~
2015年2月25日星期三
Hot weather to ease by March end
Hot weather to ease by March end: Met dept
The hot and dry spell in many areas is in the final phase of the monsoon season which is expected to abate by the end of March, said Meteorological Department director-general Datuk Che Gayah Ismail.
“It is now the tail end of the northeast monsoon which causes many areas to receive less rain over an extended period, leading to the hot and dry weather,” she said when attending the 2015 message by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, here today.
Che Gayah said the current weather condition had not reached the ‘hot wave’ level and was still categorised as normal with 30 per cent rainfall based on the long term average.
Asked if the temperature of the hot and dry weather was different from last year, she said there was not see much difference with the temperature varying over three degrees Celcius.
The temperature in Malaysia is currently between 33 and 35 degrees Celcius.
Che Gayah said the inter-monsoon season would start in April until mid-May, when states in the peninsula would experience wet weather with thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening.
She said heavy rain and thunderstorm were common before the southwest monsoon begins from June to September which is the dry and haze season.
Che Gayah said under its standard operating procedure (SOP), the department would only carry out cloud seeding when haze reached the level hazardous to human health.
“The department is always prepared to conduct cloud seeding with private flight companies to overcome the problem. At times, dam operators will also carry out cloud seeding to raise the level of water. If they seek our help, we will be prepared to assist,” she said.
Meteorological Department director-general Datuk Che Gayah Ismail says the hot weather is expected to cool down by the end of March.
~News courtesy of New Straits Times~
The hot and dry spell in many areas is in the final phase of the monsoon season which is expected to abate by the end of March, said Meteorological Department director-general Datuk Che Gayah Ismail.
“It is now the tail end of the northeast monsoon which causes many areas to receive less rain over an extended period, leading to the hot and dry weather,” she said when attending the 2015 message by Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, here today.
Che Gayah said the current weather condition had not reached the ‘hot wave’ level and was still categorised as normal with 30 per cent rainfall based on the long term average.
Asked if the temperature of the hot and dry weather was different from last year, she said there was not see much difference with the temperature varying over three degrees Celcius.
The temperature in Malaysia is currently between 33 and 35 degrees Celcius.
Che Gayah said the inter-monsoon season would start in April until mid-May, when states in the peninsula would experience wet weather with thunderstorm in the afternoon and evening.
She said heavy rain and thunderstorm were common before the southwest monsoon begins from June to September which is the dry and haze season.
Che Gayah said under its standard operating procedure (SOP), the department would only carry out cloud seeding when haze reached the level hazardous to human health.
“The department is always prepared to conduct cloud seeding with private flight companies to overcome the problem. At times, dam operators will also carry out cloud seeding to raise the level of water. If they seek our help, we will be prepared to assist,” she said.
Meteorological Department director-general Datuk Che Gayah Ismail says the hot weather is expected to cool down by the end of March.
~News courtesy of New Straits Times~
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