ARAU: Storms lashed several parts of Perlis and Kedah today, damaging 20 schools and six houses and uprooting trees.
No one was injured in the incidents which happened at about 8.30am.
The strong winds and rain mainly damaged the roofs of the buildings.
In Perlis, the storm damaged 16 primary and three secondary schools, blowing away the roofs and causing the rain to pour into several classrooms.
Perlis Education Department head of the development and service sector, Sharifah Azatul Imma Syed Aziz, said the damage was estimated at RM150,000.
Sekolah Kebangsaan Tengku Budriah here was the worst hit, she said after visiting the school.
The headmaster, Azhar Darus, said lessons will continue as usual as the pupils will be placed in other classrooms.
He said two classrooms were flooded and the electricity supply was switched off to prevent any untoward incident.
In Kedah, six houses and a national school in several villages in the Kota Star district were damaged by the storm.
Kota Star District Civil Defence officer Capt Mohd Zain Bahrum named the affected villages as Kampung Sala Kechil and Kampung Permatang Bongor in Mukim Sala Kechil; Kampung Sungai Bar, Kampung Alor Pial and Kampung Permatang Gunung in Mukim Gunong and Kampung Kota Rentang in Mukim Titi Gajah.
He said most of the houses and the school suffered damaged roofs.
“We received 14 emergency calls at 8.30am, including to report uprooted trees.
“Seven cases of uprooted trees were reported, two in Hutan Kampung, one in Mergong, two in Anak Bukit, one in Gunong and one in Bukit Pinang,“ he said in a statement.
He said the affected school, Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pantai in Kuala Kedah, suffered two damaged classrooms and the pupils were allowed to return home. — Bernama
