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Showing posts with label landslides. Show all posts
Showing posts with label landslides. Show all posts

Saturday, September 20, 2025

More heavy rain and flooding expected in Oct, says MetMalaysia

 

Weather watch: MetMalaysia staff monitoring a weather forecast display. — AZMAN GHANI /The Star

PETALING JAYA: The heavy rains and deadly Sabah floods and landslides have already claimed 13 lives.

But meteorologists warn that this could only mark the start of a more dangerous monsoon season.

There is likely to be worse weather ahead as Malaysia transitions from the southwest to the northeast monsoon.

“Thunderstorms and heavy rains are on the horizon in October. 

“From mid-November, the northeast monsoon will bring continuous rainfall, affecting the east coast of the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak,” Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip says.

He noted that these weather patterns will particularly affect the western and inland regions of the peninsula, as well as western and central Sarawak and western Sabah, with the most intense activity occurring in the afternoons and early evenings.

Hisham warned that low-lying and riverbank areas could see flash floods.

“Climate change is causing more frequent and extreme weather events, including heavier rainfall and severe thunderstorms accompanied by hailstorms and tornadoes.

“It’s essential to understand our climate patterns and plan travel to avoid high-risk areas during adverse weather,” he said.

Climatologists anticipate wetter and more extreme weather in the coming months due to climate change and the La Nina phenomenon.

Dr Fredolin Tangang of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia highlighted a report from the US Climate Prediction Centre, which predicts a more than 70% chance of Pacific Ocean cooling between October and December.

“This will lead to high atmospheric moisture during the northeast monsoon starting mid-November, increasing the likelihood of extreme weather,” he said.

Tangang noted that global warming exacerbates these conditions by increasing the atmosphere’s moisture capacity, causing more and heavier rain.

He warned that the La Nina effect, combined with global warming, is likely to persist, heightening the risk of extreme rainfall, floods and landslides in Malaysia, particularly in Sabah and Sarawak.

“Proper maintenance of drainage systems is crucial to manage the increased rainfall,” he added

Meteorologist Prof Datuk Dr Azizan Abu Samah also predicted heavier rainfall due to La Nina.

“Although currently in an ENSO-neutral state, forecasts indicate a weak La Nina this winter, suggesting above-average rain during the northeast monsoon,” he said.

The inter-monsoon transition is expected around October to November as the southwest monsoon weakens.

Azizan said the recent heavy rainfall in Sabah was due to a westerly southwest wind and the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) interacting with a cyclonic low pressure north of the Philippines.

“The wet phase of the MJO should end by this weekend, providing relief to Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.

The National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) reported the end of the southwest monsoon, which began on May 10, has caused some areas to see daily rainfall of over 80mm.

Eastern Sabah is likely to see more thunderstorms and heavy rain, at least until Sept 22.

Squall lines capable of producing severe weather are also expected in western Peninsular Malaysia, western Sabah, and northern Sarawak during early mornings, with thunderstorms likely in other regions during afternoons and evenings.

Nadma director-general Datuk Abdul Halim Hamzah said that the agency was fully prepared, especially after the minor earthquake in Segamat, Johor, and the heavy rains in Sabah.

By MARTIN CARVALHO

14 hours ago — “This is part of the state's broader strategy to manage environmental risks and prevent landslides, especially during heavy rainfall,” he said.

Shafie: Uncertainty in weather needs rapid measures to help...


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Wednesday, May 15, 2019

Cracked drain causes road cave-in, house nearby on brink of callapse

https://youtu.be/9yXuW1pdrt4

Danger zone: A JKR personel inspecting the cave-in in Jalan Lembah Permai. — ZAINUDIN AHAD/The Star
Dangert zone: A JKR personel inspecting the cave-in in Jalan Lembah Permai and (inset) the abandon squarter house. — ZAINUDIN AHAD/The Star
The abandon squatter house.

 GEORGE TOWN: A cracked underground drain caused rainwater to flood the earth beneath a road in Tanjung Bungah, causing a retaining wall to burst open and creating a 10m-wide “cavern” beneath the road.

Residents along Lembah Permai woke up last Friday and found part of their street had caved in.

An abandoned house on lower grounds next to the street is teetering on the brink of collapse after water washed away the earth beneath the house’s foundation.

Where the opening of the 40cm-in-diameter underground drain used to be is now a maw around 10m across, with chunks of the wall lying down the slope.

The minor landslide brought back fearful memories for residents because it is less than 1km from the Tanjung Bungah landslide that happened in October 2017, which killed 11 construction workers.

“It was raining so much last week. The water from this drain comes from most of the roadside drains in hillside and it was gushing almost all day and night.

“Luckily, no one lives in that house now. It was abandoned many years ago,” said neighbour Teh Choon Pin.

When the southwest monsoon began on May 6, it was raining almost continuously for five days in Penang and this retaining wall burst open on the fifth day.

Resident Zuhaimi Che Mat, who lives just about 30m from the wall, said it was the first time this has happened in the 50 years she lived there.

R“The water from the drain flows into the stream heading out to sea. When it rains heavily, water from the hills comes gushing down the stream and out of the drain,” she said.

State Works Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari, who is also Tanjung Bungah assemblyman, said the state approved an emergency fund of RM220,000 and a contractor has been appointed to start repair works.

“The underground drain had cracked and water was seeping into the soil and weakening the road foundation.

“We knew there were problems and the Public Works Department was in the process of calling for a tender before the wall burst open,” he said.

He said the hassle was that there were many utility cables and pipes running under the road that went down too.

“There is an 11kV electricity cable, water pipes, telephone cables and others. So many agencies will be involved in the repairs,” Zairil added.

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Related post;

Drainage and construction damaged nearby houses since 2014 must complete its mitigation quickly!

Underground Pipe Culverts from IJM Trehaus site on the left and nearby pond on the right

Thursday, November 22, 2018

Road shoulder at Paya Terubong collapses after downpour terrifying motorists

 
The road shoulder along Jalan Paya Terubong that caved in after a downpour today
Another view of the collapsed section of the road connecting Air Itam and Relau.

Road users fear landslip that killed nine nearby may affect safety of route


GEORGE TOWN: The landslip along Jalan Paya Terubong near Majestic Heights apartments is causing worry among thousands of motorists using the route to work daily.

They are worried if the incident, which occurred after several hours of heavy rain, would pose a danger to them.

The motorists use this hillside road to get to Relau and Bayan Lepas from Ayer Itam and Paya Terubong.

The affected stretch goes past the Jalan Bukit Kukus highway construction site where a landslide on Oct 19 killed nine foreigners.

It is only a few hundred metres away from the tragic site.

State Works Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said the state authorities would not close the road as the soil erosion did not pose any danger to road users.

“All motorists and motorcyclists can still use the road safely without concern.

“The hillside area where the soil erosion occurred was already undergoing repairs prior to the incident.

“The contractor in charge will continue to oversee and restore the affected hillside area,” he said.

Zairil said apart from the restoration project, Tenaga Nasional Bhd was also carrying out rewiring works nearby.

“For the time being, the rewiring works have been halted and all power supply has been cut,” he said.

State Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh advised Paya Terubong residents to avoid using the road if possible.

“Yes, we know how vital the road is especially for those who work in the Bayan Lepas factories,” he said.

Without this connection to Bayan Lepas, the residents of Paya Terubong and Ayer Itam will have to use Jalan Masjid Negeri to reach Bayan Lepas. This route takes longer and is time-consuming.

Jalan Masjid Negeri can see a bumper-to-bumper crawl during rush hour with motorists travelling from other parts of George Town to the island’s south.

George Town OCPD Asst Comm Che Zaimani Che Awang said the police were keeping the road under close observation.

Meanwhile, police have finished their investigation on the Jalan Bukit Kukus landslide and the report will be referred to the Deputy Public Prosecutor’s office.

Penang police chief Comm Datuk Seri A. Thaiveegan said they submitted the report yesterday.

It was reported that police had recorded statements from almost 70 witnesses in its investigation on the landslide for criminal negligence.

Apart from the nine foreigners who were killed, four others also sustained injuries in the incident.- The Star

Related:



Residents fear closure of vital link - Nation


Road shoulder at Paya Terubong collapses after downpour ...

 

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