Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the government does not see a need to declare a heat wave emergency despite the country currently experiencing a spell of hot weather, Malay Mail reported.
(Bloomberg) — Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the government does not see a need to declare a heat wave emergency despite the country currently experiencing a spell of hot weather, Malay Mail reported.
The authorities are monitoring the situation and the government may reconsider if the temperature reaches 40C (104F), the newspaper reported, citing a briefing by Zahid after chairing the National Disaster Management Agency meeting on Tuesday.
For now, cloud seeding is being carried out over catchment areas for seven dams whose water level is expected to recede, the report said, adding that 101 tube wells have been installed in peat soil areas for hard-to-reach areas.
Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries are grappling with record temperatures as the heat wave that started in April continues to blast through the region, following a pattern of increasing extreme weather caused by the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
READ: Brutal Heat Tightens Grip on Asia in Warning for Summer Ahead
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