THE Malaysian Meteorological Department has issued a severe continuous rain warning for several districts in Sarawak until tomorrow, as unsettled weather conditions continue to affect large parts of the country and leave hundreds of people displaced.
In a Facebook post, the department said the Level Three severe warning applies to Kuching, specifically Bau and Kuching districts, as well as Serian, Samarahan, Sri Aman and parts of Betong, including Pusa and Betong.
At the same time, a Level Two alert warning has been issued for other areas in Sarawak, including Kuching’s Lundu district, Sri Aman’s Lubok Antu, Betong’s Saratok and Kabong, as well as Sarikei, Sibu, Mukah, Bintulu and parts of Miri, including Subis.
In a separate advisory, METMalaysia said heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds are expected to affect several areas in Selangor, Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan until 9am today.
In Selangor, the affected areas include Sabak Bernam, Kuala Selangor, Klang and Kuala Langat.
In Sarawak, heavy rain is forecast for Miri, covering Beluru, Telang Usan, Miri and Marudi, as well as Limbang. In Sabah, the weather is expected to impact the interior districts of Sipitang, Kuala Penyu and Beaufort, Sandakan’s Beluran district, and Kudat, including Pitas and Kudat.
“Warnings are issued when there are indications of thunderstorms with rainfall intensity exceeding 20 millimetres per hour that are imminent or expected to persist for more than an hour.
“Thunderstorm warnings are short-term alerts valid for a period not exceeding six hours for each issuance,” the department said.
Meanwhile, as of 6.30am today, a total of 832 flood victims from 274 families remain housed in seven temporary evacuation centres across three states, namely Sabah, Sarawak and Perak. - January 9, 2025
