Temperature to hit 35 degree Celsius until August, warns expert

SHAH ALAM - Be warned hot days are here.

The current heatwave in the country is expected to continue until August due to the change in the monsoon season to the Southwest Monsoon.

Climate expert Dr Fredolin Tangang said the change will result in one of the driest weather with 35 degrees Celsius, especially in the Peninsula.

"What we have been experiencing for the past week, according to the forecast issued by the Climate Prediction Center in the United States is the movement of a high-pressure centre moving from the Indian Ocean across Malaysia.

"This means that there will be less cloud formation and increased heat and temperature.

"The absence of rain also reduces the cooling factor and the public should avoid open burning due to the dry and hot weather," he told Sinar Harian.

So far, Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad had announced that the current hot weather was expected to last until August.

Last Friday, Jeli, Kelantan recorded a level two heat wave, with daily temperature hitting 40 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, Fredolin said the country was still in the midst of the monsoon influenced by the Madden-Julian Oscillation phenomenon with rain and thunderstorms in late afternoons and evenings.

"This rain usually acts as a cooling factor, and the temperature is not as high as during the Southwest Monsoon season. However, for the past week, the weather in Malaysia and the surrounding regions has been affected by the Madden-Julian Oscillation phenomenon," he said.

Fredolin added that global climate change has also affected the current weather pattern in Malaysia as the increase in global temperature caused more extreme weather phenomena.