Onset of northeast monsoon, expected to end March 2014

The Northeast Monsoon season kicked in yesterday and is expect to last till March 2014, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department.

In a statement here today, the department said the season is characterised by northwesterly winds that blow persistently across the South China Sea to the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

According to the statement, during this season, the East Coast states of Peninsular Malaysia, coastal areas of Sarawak and East Coast of Sabah will experience four to five episodes of widespread heavy rains that may continue for three to seven days and cause floods in the East Coast states and the southern region of the peninsula in November, December 2013 and January 2014.

Similar conditions will occur in the western and central parts of Sarawak in December 2013, January and February 2014 and also the East Coast of Sabah in January and February 2014, the statement said.

The first episode of heavy rains is expected to occur in the third week of November 2013.

Although the country is expected to experience a normal Northeast Monsoon, each occurence of heavy rainfall episode can cause flooding, especially at river basins, the statement added.