NAJIB WEIGHS IN ON DIP IN TEMPERATURE
He says it is cold in Malaysia, just like in Jeddah
EVEN Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak felt a cold chill on his return to the country after a fiveday official visit to Saudi Arabia. “Wah! Today it’s really cold in Malaysia, just like in Jeddah. Alhamdulillah back home safe,” he said in a Twitter posting yesterday.
However, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (METMalaysia) said the lower-than-average temperatures were normal during the monsoon season.
Its director-general, Alui Bahari, said it was normal for the temperature to dip to 20˚C in January.
He said, so far, only Cameron Highlands had seen a slight drop in temperature to 15˚C, but the rest of Malaysia was still within its average temperature range for this time of year due to heavy rains and strong winds.
“We have experienced such weather, with gloomy and cloudy days, before. It is normal for Malaysia from January to February due to strong winds from the northeast.
“In Feb 2014, the weather in Kota Baru, Kelantan was 17.8˚C; while Gong Kedak and Kuala Krai in Terengganu experienced a low of 17.6˚C and 15.7˚C respectively,” he said.
Alui advised the public to monitor METMalaysia’s warning notices on its website for details on temperature nationwide.
At 9am yesterday, METMalaysia reported that temperatures were expected to be within the range of 16˚C to 29˚C nationwide.
The day’s low in Melaka would be 22˚C, Petaling Jaya (23˚C), Cameron Highlands (16˚C), Kuantan (23˚C), Kuala Terengganu (27˚C), Ipoh (23˚C), Kota Baru (24˚C), Kuala Pilah (21˚C), Bayan Lepas (26˚C), Prai (25), Chuping (25), Alor Star (24), Senai (22˚C), Kuching (25˚C) and Kota Kinabalu (29).
METMalaysia’s portal also carried a warning about thunderstorms over waters off east Johor, Pahang, Kelantan, Sarawak (Bintulu and Miri) and Sabah (Kudat) until early afternoon yesterday. This may generate strong winds of up to 50kph and rough seas, with wave of up to 3.5 metres high, which are dangerous to small boats.