El Nino drought to hit Sabah, Sarawak

PETALING JAYA: The El Nino phenomenon next month will hit Sabah and Sarawak badly, says the Malaysian Meteorological Department.
The department spokesman said based on their past experience, a strong El Nino can lead to dry spells due to less rain clouds over the country which will then affect the agriculture, food production and cleaning industries.
"The air temperature during that time will be slightly higher than normal as the heat from the sun will reach us directly without any filtration through the clouds," he told theSun.
He added that the impact of El Nino on the nation next month will depend on its intensity, which is yet to be determined.
"The impact will be minimal if the El Nino is weak or moderate," he said.
He said the department is closely monitoring the situation with assistance from international research centres like the Japan Meteorological Agency, US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Climate Prediction Centre and Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
"Any new developments will be shared with the media and relevant agencies," he added.
He said they also plan to do cloud seeding whenever necessary to minimise the impact of El Nino.
To minimise the impact, he said, Malaysians should use water prudently for their daily needs.