Six areas reach, exceed heatwave threshold - Madius

Six areas in Malaysia have either reached or exceeded the heatwave threshold as of yesterday, said Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Seri Wilfred Madius Tangau.

He named these areas as Chuping, Perlis; Alor Setar, Kedah; Ipoh and Lubuk Merbau, Perak, and Batu Embun and Temerloh, Pahang.

He did not say, however, until when the situation would prevail.

"The current hot weather is due to the strong El Nino phenomenon. This anomaly occurs at irregular intervals of two to seven years.

"The hot weather can trigger a heatwave that can lead to health risks such as hyperthermia or heat stroke and dehydration," he said.

He said the heatwave threshold in Malaysia was a daily temperature of 35 degrees Celsius for five consecutive days and exceeding by two degrees Celsius the long-term average maximum temperature.

The heatwave threshold was also daily a maximum temperature of 37 degrees Celsius or more for three consecutive days, he said.

Madius advised the people to reduce outdoor activities, drink more water and consult health professionals if they experienced a heat stroke.

According to the Malaysian Meteorological Department, the current hot weather will only return to normal in June.

In ALOR SETAR, one heat-related case was reported on Sunday, involving a 51-year-old man who suffered muscle cramps.

Kedah director of health Dr Norhizan Ismail said the man suffered muscle cramps in both legs while performing the Zohor prayers.

He was given emergency treatment at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital and was allowed to go home once his body temperature stabilised," he said in a statement late last night.

The hot weather could have serious repercussions on the body due to lack of water or dehydration, he said, advising the people to seek immediate medical attention if they suffered any signs of heat-related illness.

"The impact on health can be such that it can cause a heat stroke. Among the symptoms are headache, fatigue, poor concentration and muscle weakness or cramps," he said.

Dr Norhizan advised people to wear light clothes and not to let anyone sit for too long in a closed car and avoid exercising in the hot weather.

In the meantime, four per cent or 20,523 of the 533,549 premises and residences in Kedah have been experiencing low water pressure since early January due to the El Nino phenomenon.

Kedah Local Government, Water Supply, Water Resources and Energy, Housing and Human Development Committee chairman Datuk Badrol Hisham Hashim said this resulted from higher usage of clean water by up to 200 per cent daily.

This caused several areas in the districts of Pokok Sena, Kota Setar, Kuala Ketil, Pendang, Sik and Kuala Muda to experience low water pressure during the day, he said, adding that the water pressure returned to normal at night.

"The water supply in the state is not critical. We have water in three major dams, namely Pedu, Ahneng and Muda, which is sufficient for the next two years," he told a press conference.

"Those experiencing water supply disruption are those using the public water supply under the supervision of the Ministry of Health, and Syarikat Air Darul Aman (SADA) is delivering clean water to them.

"At the moment, natural water sources in the districts of Pendang, Sik and Padang Terap are beginning to dry up due to the hot weather," he said.

In view of this, SADA is providing about 470,000 litres of water per day freeto areas with low water pressure and to those cut off from water resources, he said.

SADA chief executive officer Datuk Adzmi Din said the low water pressure would be overcome once the expansion of the plant in Kulim Hi-Tech was completed in June and a new plant in Pokok Sena was ready.

"I hope people don't panic on seeing what is being circulated on the social media because the state has adequate water supply for daily activities," he said.

In IPOH, the occurrence of open fires since January is closely linked to the hot and dry weather caused by the current El Nino phenomenon, but it is still under control.

Perak Fire and Rescue Department director Datuk Yahya Madis said 843 cases were reported from January to yesterday, compared with 1,340 for the corresponding period last year.

He said most of the cases involved undergrowth (547 cases), forest (84), landfills and waste disposal areas (72), smallholdings (35), peatland (one) and other areas (104).

"Most of the open fires occurred in Ipoh, Kuala Kangsar, Simpang Pulai, Taiping, Kamunting, Bagan Serai, Parit Buntar and Pengkalan Hulu," he told Bernama.