Equinos phenomenon doesn't lead to extreme hot weather - Met Dept

The Equinox phenomenon, expected to be felt in Malaysia beginning next week, will not lead to any extreme weather changes, said Meteorological Department director-general Datuk Che Gayah Ismail.

She said the situation would only cause an increase in temperature of between one or two degrees Celcius.

"However, this is still considered normal and does not have a major effect," she told Bernama Sunday.

She said this was a normal phenomenon when the Equinox occurred twice a year - March and September - when the sun was right above the Equator, where Malaysia was located.

"The Equinox does not have a major effect on temperature because temperature changes are influenced by such factors as wind movement, rain and others," added Che Gayah when commenting on a media report on the phenomenon.

She said the current temperature in Malaysia was between 33 and 35 degrees Celcius.

Meanwhile, Association of Water and Energy Research (AWER) president, S. Piarapakaran said the Selangor Water Management Authority (Luas) should monitor closely the water level in the dams, especially the Sungai Selangor Dam.

He said the warning for the critical water level should be raised from the current 30 percent to 50.

He drew attention to the fact that the Sungai Selangor Dam supplied 60 percent of water supply to Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor.

"If the critical water level was 50 percent, at least drastic action could be taken quickly to replenish the water level in the dams," he said.