Less flood risk in Klang Valley this year

SHAH ALAM - Klang Valley is unlikely to face massive floods like it did last year this time around.

National Antarctic Research Centre (NARC) meteorologist Professor Datuk Dr Azizan Abu Samah said this was due to the negative phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) which gradually became neutral.

“With the negative phase of IOD becoming neutral, I think the whole of West Coast of the Peninsula has less risk of massive floods compared to last year.

“Same goes to the La Nina which is expected to be weaker and becomes neutral according to the seasonal forecast for December 2022 until February next year,” he said.

Azizan further explained that based on the nullschool and windy forecast, the heavy rain occurrence has also moved to West Sarawak and West Sabah.

“The rain has also moved to Java and Bali, which is related to the monsoon that has gradually moved to the south and will no longer be in Kelantan and South Thailand,” he said.

Nevertheless, he said according to the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) forecast model, it was expected to rain in Terengganu in January.

However, he said this was in contrast with the forecast by the Global Forecast System (GFS).

“We weren’t sure which one is true since it was difficult to forecast thunderstorms in two to three days forward. So we need to keep observing,” he said.

Recently, it was reported that the flood situation in Kelantan and Terengganu gradually improved but the number of victims increased in Sabah.

Meanwhile the number of flood victims in Sarawak remained unchanged as of yesterday.