Current Sabah hot weather not the worst
Published on: Sunday, March 24, 2024
By: Crystal E Hermenegildus
“So far this year, no station in the State has recorded a temperature higher than 37 degrees Celsius,” Amir said. Based on the long-term weather forecast issued by the National Climate Centre, MetMalaysia for March to August, Kudat, Sandakan and Tawau are expected to receive below average rainfall in March, while other areas will receive average rainfall.
Kota Kinabalu: The current hot weather in Sabah is not the worst compared to that of 1998 and 2016 when the El Niño phenomenon recorded its worst effects, said the Sabah Meteorological Department.
Its Director Amirzudi Hashim said the hottest weather recorded in Sabah was in Kudat with a temperature of 37.6 degrees Celsius on May 24, 1998 and Keningau at 37.5 degrees Celsius on March 13, 2016.
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He said the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) expects the hot weather to persist until April, gradually returning to normal in May.
“The current hot weather is a recurring phenomenon that occurs every year between February and May.
“Due to the El Niño phenomenon affecting the world at present, we anticipate higher daily temperatures in most areas of our country,” he said. Amir said the daily temperature could exceed 35 degrees Celsius in the early afternoon and rise to over 37 degrees Celsius.
“So far this year, no station in the State has recorded a temperature higher than 37 degrees Celsius,” he said.
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Based on the long-term weather forecast issued by the National Climate Centre, MetMalaysia for March to August, Amir said Kudat, Sandakan and Tawau are expected to receive below average rainfall in March, while other areas will receive average rainfall.
Meanwhile, Papar District Disaster Management Committee Chairman Mohd Fuad Abdullah reminded residents of the need to conserve water during the drought season. He said this would allow residents in other locations to get clean water supply.
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“On Friday, the State Water Department reported that total daily water output at the Kogopon Water Treatment Plant (LRA) remained at 35 million litres per day (MLD) although the water level in the p1 tank remains critical.
“The p1 tank has a capacity of 10 MLD and supplies water from the Kogopon LRA to consumers and lorries that take water from this LRA,” he said.
Mohd Fuad said the community is confused about the 1,200-millimetre mid-steel-cement-lined (MSCL) pipe leak at the Kogopon LRA on Tuesday, believing that the district’s water supply has been fully restored.
“Until today, many people are still confused by the main pipe that leaked last Tuesday. They believe that after repairing the damage to the main pipe in the Kogopon LRA, the district’s water supply has been fully resolved.
“Actually, the amount of daily water production is still at the same level as before the leaking pipe incident,” he told reporters at the Papar District Control Operations Centre (PKOB).
He expressed gratitude for the collaboration of all parties in coping with the drought and hopes donations and aid in manpower and logistics will benefit affected residents.
“We received a donation of 3,600 bottles of drinking water from Life Water Industries Sdn Bhd.
“This drinking water will be handed over to the Papar Parliament Office for distribution to Kawang, Pantai Manis and Limbahau.
“In addition to drinking water, we also received assistance from private companies such as Puncak Mas Resources/Garin Rbi20 who provided two 10-tonne lorries and two three-tonne lorries to deliver water to areas affected by drought,” he said.
Syarikat Asli Jati Engineering also helped by sending 189 volunteers to assist with water supply operations in the district every day.
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