Brace for flash floods, thunderstorms until mid-May, says Tuan Ibrahim

 

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians have been warned to be prepared for flash floods due to more thunderstorms and strong winds during the monsoon transitional phase from now until mid-May, says Environment and Water Minister Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.

The monsoon transitional phase from March 14 until May 15 signals the end of the northern monsoon that started on Nov 3, 2021, but brings thunderstorms with heavy rain and strong winds within a short period of time, between one to three hours, said Tuan Ibrahim.

The storms would usually occur in the late afternoons and early evenings, mostly affecting states on the west coast and interior of the Peninsula, western Sabah and western and central Sarawak, he added.

“During this transition period, the region will receive weak winds from various directions which are very suitable for thunderstorms that usually bring heavy rain and strong winds in a short period of time.

“This has the potential to cause flash floods and damage to unstable structures but focus should also be given to rivers as heavy currents and river overflow has the potential to occur if heavy rains occur for long stretches of time, which can also lead to mud floods and landslides,” said Tuan Ibrahim during the Ministers’ Question Time in Parliament on Tuesday (March 15).

Earlier, Datuk Che Abdullah Mat Nawi (PN-Tumpat) asked the Minister to state the current preparations by the government to face the transitional phase of the monsoon beginning March 14 until May 15, which has the potential to cause flash floods in the country.

Tuan Ibrahim said multiple government agencies including the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID), National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) and local authorities have been coordinating to prepare for the eventuality of flash floods during this phase.

He also said that flash floods during the monsoon transitional phase tend to occur much more quickly compared to floods during the north-east monsoon, which can usually be predicted two or three days before.

“This is because during the north-east monsoon, the rainfall distribution can be observed as it usually occurs within prolonged periods and are large-scale, so we can give an early warning of two to three days before floods happen.

“Meanwhile, during this transitional period, the thunderstorms, strong winds and heavy rain occur within a very short time and are more intense in nature,” he said.

Tuan Ibrahim added that the Ministry has applied for RM94bil to develop long-term solutions to the flood problem, and out of this, the Finance Ministry has approved RM15bil to be used for flood mitigation works until 2030.

Tuan Ibrahim said the funds will be used to beef up the flood early warning system, building flood structures such as water tunnels in high-risk areas and increasing the capacity of flood infrastructure and systems throughout the country. - Star