Some like the hot days, some not so much

Drink water: It is important to stay hydrated while out and about during the hot weather.

IPOH: The change of weather has definitely affected the daily routine for some people.

Those interviewed said they noticed the weather has gotten hotter over the past few days.

Assistant pharmacy officer Saidatul Solehah Mohamad Nor, 33, said it has been days since she could do any outdoor activities.

“Usually, after work, I will take some time to jog or do some gardening.

“But these days, the hot weather has made it harder to stay outside for long.

“I have no choice but to exercise indoor or jog at night, ” she added.

Saidatul said some of her plants are also dying, believed to be affected by the weather.

“I water and check on them regularly but despite the extra care, they are still dying.

“I hope the hot weather will not be here for long as I want to go back to my routine of jogging and gardening every day, ” she said.

Postgraduate student Syahirah Sazeli, 30, also expressed the same view.

“I usually go out in the morning to sort my daily tasks. But now, the weather has made me want to stay indoor longer and to only go out in the evening.”

With the new school session having started, some parents also made sure they were well prepared to help their children keep cool.

Staying cool: Tourists finding reprieve from the scorching sun with sunglasses, a hat and umbrella in George Town.

Teacher Fatin Zahidah Mohd Nasir, 30, said she would bring an umbrella along when picking up her five-year-old son from school.

“I also remind him to finish up his water before classes end as I am worried he might get dehydrated.”

Perak environment and education committee chairman Dr Abdul Aziz Bari advised parents and teachers to lessen the outdoor activities for children during the hot weather.

“It seems that the weather is changing drastically.

“If it gets hotter, we will make the necessary announcement to limit outdoor activities for them, ” he said.

In Penang, the clear skies of late is a welcome change from the hazy air but that means people are exposed to the full fury of the scorching sun.

Penang and Kedah have been getting more than its fair share of the blazing sun since early December.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department’s (MetMalaysia) forecast for January to June shows that the hot weather in the northern region of Peninsular Malaysia is only expected to end in February, with Perlis, Kedah and Penang expecting a slightly below average rainfall of between 100mm and 250mm.

Alor Setar recorded the highest temperature nationally at 34.6°C, although MetMalaysia said it was still way below the 40.1°C in Chuping, Perlis, in 1998’s El Nino.

However, not everyone is complaining about the cloudless mornings, with one housewife saying the heat makes it faster to dry her family’s laundry.

“I have a big family. There are 11 of us, including my husband and seven children and two of my sister’s children, ” said 62-year-old S. Kamatchee.

“We send our clothes to the traditional handwash at Dhoby Ghaut for the last seven years and I can now get all our clothes back within a day.”

For British holidaymakers taking a break from their country’s winter in Batu Ferringhi, it is good news, too.

A spokesman for a resort in Batu Ferringhi, which has a large number of returning British guests, said the visitors were having a great time in the sun.

“Sun blocks and suntan lotions in the hotel are selling like hot cakes. They want to lie on the beach and bask under the sun.

“It’s winter in many parts of Europe and many of them return to our hotel every year to enjoy the sun and the beach, ” he said.

Patricia Brown, 47, from Southampton, England, was all praise for Penang’s sunny weather, calling it a blessing compared to the cold weather back home.

Sunny shot: A group of travellers from China sheltering themselves with umbrellas while visiting the Tugu Negara in Kuala Lumpur.

“It’s just the right weather and this is my second trip to Penang. I always enjoy lying on the beach with a book, sunbathing for hours, ” she said.

In Kuala Lumpur, three tourists from Shanxi, China wearing sunglasses, hats and masks were spotted taking selfies in Dataran Merdeka in the hot and humid weather.

The friends, two women and a man, said the weather in Shanxi was -18°C and that they enjoyed the sunny weather in Malaysia.

“We are covered up because we don’t want UV radiation, ” said the three who declined to be identified.

Another tourist, Hrachuhi Galstyan, 30, an Armenian climatologist now working in China, said she didn’t mind the hot weather in Malaysia.

In fact, she’s enjoying the heat, and she plans to go to Langkawi next.

In Johor, the rescue and environmental agencies in the state have made early preparations for the hot season.

Johor Fire and Rescue Department director Datuk Yahya Madis said the department had already received 30 reports of wildfires across the state on Jan 1.

“The largest fire reported so far is at Benut, Pontian at a six-acre farm where personnel from three fire stations are fighting the blaze.”

In Sarawak, the rainy season is expected to last until the northeast monsoon is over in March and the state disaster management committee is not standing down anytime soon.

“We are still in a state of preparedness now, ” its secretariat chief Mej (PA) Ismail Mahedin said as two schools faced floods when the new school term began on Wednesday.

SK Sungai Anak in Selangau, which has 71 pupils, reported attendance of 68% at 8am on Wednesday as the road to the school was flooded.

According to MetMalaysia’s weather forecast from December 2019 to May 2020, Sarawak is expected to receive slightly higher than average rainfall in January.

Rainfall between 800mm and 900mm is predicted for Kuching, Samarahan and Sri Aman this month, while Sarikei, Betong and Sibu can expect 450mm to 600mm of rain.

Kuching, Samarahan and Sri Aman are also expected to face more wet weather next month, with 400mm to 550mm of rain forecast, while other parts of the state are predicted to receive average rainfall of between 150mm and 400mm.

MetMalaysia director-general Jailan Simon said the department does not expect any extreme weather conditions this year.

“In general, the tailend of the northeast monsoon happens at the end of January and beginning of February, so the weather in the peninsula is rather hot, with less rainfall.

“However, the west coast states in the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak are still expected to experience thunderstorms in the late evenings and nights, especially in mid-January.

“MetMalaysia will issue warnings if need be.

“People are also advised to be careful and get the latest weather updates from our website, ” said Jailan in an email. - Star