Hot spell to persist in Malaysia until end of July
Its director-general, Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip, said the heat remains within normal levels and does not meet the criteria for an extreme heatwave, although temperatures in some areas may reach up to 36°C.
"Most areas in the country are forecast to receive minimal rainfall over the next week due to the formation of a tropical storm in the western Pacific Ocean near the Philippines.
"With the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) index predicted to remain at neutral levels through the end of the year, extreme heat is not expected to strike the country during this Southwest Monsoon season," he said.
He added that the latest weather forecast model analysis shows that active tropical cyclones in the western Pacific Ocean and South China Sea are disrupting the country's rainfall patterns.
As a result, he said, cloud seeding operations in the northern regions of the Peninsular, especially in Kerian, Perak, are currently not suitable, despite the dry and low-rainfall conditions.
"The influence of active tropical cyclones makes it unsuitable to carry out cloud seeding at this time.
"However, should there be significant weather changes based on updated forecast models, we will inform the relevant authorities," he added.
Previously, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu said cloud seeding would be carried out to address the issue of dry rice fields due to declining water levels at Bukit Merah Lake caused by the heat.
Hisham explained that METMalaysia acts solely as a technical advisor and agency upon receiving an official request from any party wishing to conduct cloud seeding, particularly in water shortage crises such as the one in Kerian.
"METMalaysia will conduct weather forecast analysis using the latest models, taking into account factors such as high humidity levels, the presence of towering cumulus clouds in the targeted areas, and atmospheric stability.
"All these factors will help promote cloud formation and development suitable for generating rain during cloud seeding operations," he said.
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