NO RESPITE: Floods set to worsen as Met Dept predicts more rain

PETALING JAYA - The flood condition is set to worsen as heavier rainfall is expected in the peninsula tomorrow.

Meteorological Department officer Azlai Ta’at said rainfall is expected especially in the east coast.

“Rainfall is expected to increase tomorrow and will continue until Tuesday,” he said.

“Normally the monsoon would be moving towards Sabah and Sarawak during this period, but this year it seems to have maintained at the east coast of the peninsula.”

The department predicts the monsoon will only move in the middle of January, which means the rainy season will continue in the east coast until next month, he said.

Azlai said although we are facing a mild “El Nino” phenomenon in the peninsula, it does not affect the monsoon in any way.

“Although the monsoon doesn’t cause rain along the states of Selangor and Malacca, the wind conditions in these states were causing more rain than usual.

“The rain we are facing is not because of the monsoon. There is a vortex with high wind concentration in Selangor and Malacca which we predict will cause rains for another few more days.”

Meanwhile, Bernama reported Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim saying transportation assets belonging to several agencies, including the Armed Forces, Fire and Rescue Department, Department of Civil Defence and police, are being used to send crucial supplies to areas cut off by flood water.

“We used boats and helicopters to reach several areas which had run out of food and were inaccessible by land. With the improving weather, we have sent food to stranded victims, including at several locations in Kuala Krai,” he said.

“The government gives its assurance there are adequate food supplies as well as assets to send them to flood victims.”

He said the food supply were procured from states not affected by floods, as well as Kuala Lumpur.

“The supplies were transported to Kelantan by land, via the Kuala Lipis-Gua Musang route.

“We are resorting to using helicopters to send food supplies to areas to which the land routes are cut off by floods.”

Shahidan advised the people to adhere to the directives of the authorities concerned and evacuate quickly before the situation worsen and complicate rescue efforts.

He also advised them against disseminating false information on the disaster as it would make things difficult for everybody, including the rescue teams. - Malay Mail