The Chukai hailstorm is not a precursor to major flooding, a weather expert says

KUALA TERENGGANU: The hailstorm that hit Chukai town, Kemaman and its environs on Wednesday (Oct 23) does not indicate major flooding in the east coast as claimed by some quarters.

Climate and weather researcher Dr Chung Jing Xiang said instead that hailstorms are among the features of the southwest monsoon transition from September 24 before entering the north monsoon- est, which is expected to start at the beginning of this November.

According to him, the characteristics of the monsoon transition are that the sky is usually clear in the morning and the wind is weak from various directions, which favors thunderstorms, heavy rains and strong winds in a short period of time, thus potentially generating tornadoes and producing hail.

“You can’t use (hailstorms) to predict whether a major flood will occur in an area or not. However, the east coast will be affected by the monsoon.

“If we go by past history, the risk of flooding is high, but no major flooding can be forecast at this time,” he said when contacted by Bernama on Thursday (Oct 24).

The Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) Faculty of Marine and Environmental Sciences professor said that to predict long-term weather and the potential for major flooding, researchers use large-scale atmospheric circulation, such as now changes in the El Nino Southern Oscillation. (ocean warming), the bipolar Indian Ocean (Indian Ocean Dipole), and the Madden-Julian Oscillation (Madden-Julian Oscillation).

“And we also need to pay attention to atmospheric anomalies such as cold northerly winds and the emergence of the Borneo vortex (cyclonic weather) during the occurrence of the monsoon so that we can more accurately predict whether and where major flooding will occur. will produce

“For example, if there is a La Nina (cooling of the ocean, more rain), the likelihood of heavy rain and flooding can occur. Or the presence of strong winds, it can bring moisture to our area and cause rain and prolonged flooding,” he said.

Earlier, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) through a long-term weather forecast from October 2024 to March 2025, reported that Besut district is only expected to receive slightly above average rainfall in December of this year.

MetMalaysia director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah was also previously reported to have said that La Nina, which usually lasts between five and 18 months, is expected to be weak to moderate in strength according to international forecast models.

#Terengganu Sebanyak 244 rumah rosak dalam kira-kira ribut dan hujan air batu de Bandar Chukai de daerah Kemaman and kawasan dalam radius kira-kira tiga kilometers around it.#BernamaNews #VideoBernama#HujanBatu pic.twitter.com/UPuDypXWQU

— BERNAMA (@bernamadotcom) October 24, 2024

On Wednesday (October 23), the town of Chukai and the area within a radius of three kilometers around it were hit by hail and a storm that damaged the infrastructure of more than 200 houses and schools, felled trees and injuring a man who broke his right leg when he was hit by debris from a shack while taking shelter from the storm.

A total of 18 victims from seven families, including four children, are now placed in a Temporary Evacuation Center (PPS) in Kampung Gong Pauh due to severe damage to their homes. – Bernama