GEORGE TOWN - Scorching heat and moderate air pollution have made the northern Malaysian states of Perlis, Kedah and Penang hot spots in more ways than one.

The oppressive environment is created by a combination of cloudless skies and humid weather, though there are occasional scattered bursts of rain.

Mr Phee Boon Poh, the Penang state environment committee’s chairman, said on Thursday that there are worries temperatures may go up further, as neighbouring Thailand is facing unprecedented high temperatures.

“We are now moving into the inter-monsoon period, from May until July. When there is no rain, the ocean heats up and there is hot wind. We expect temperatures to be around 32 deg C to 33 deg C.

“In Thailand, they are facing temperatures as high as 45 deg C, which is unprecedented. We are worried it will happen here as well,” said Mr Phee, who urged people to stay hydrated.

He also appealed for people to refrain from conducting open burning activities, as the overall dryness could lead to a fire that could rage out of control.

“We have put all the voluntary fire squads on high alert for open fires,” he added.

Mr Phee urged people, especially those in high-rise buildings, to avoid overusing their air-conditioners, as these would add more heat to the surroundings.

“If everyone uses air-conditioning for hours, the warm air blowing out from the condenser or compressor will add to the problem, especially in high-rise buildings,” he said.

The Air Pollutant Index (API) readings for Penang at 6pm on Thursday showed unhealthy air pollution in the town of Balik Pulau (at 104) and a moderate level in state capital George Town (at 96).

An API reading of between zero and 50 is good, while 51 to 100 is moderate, 101 to 200 is unhealthy, 201 to 300 very unhealthy, and 301 and above is deemed hazardous.

It is believed the readings are caused by domestic pollution, as according to data on the regional haze situation from the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre, no hot spots have been detected in Indonesia, Thailand or Vietnam as yet.

In almost all rural farmlands in South-east Asia, using fire to clear agriculture debris is still prevalent as this is cheap and works to return some minerals to the soil, other than killing pests. But the resultant smoke travels hundreds of kilometres and becomes haze in neighbouring countries.

The Malaysian Meteorological Department’s website indicates that while the whole country is experiencing hot weather, only Sik, Kubang Pasu and Kuala Muda, all in Kedah, experienced temperatures between 35 deg C and 37 deg C for more than three days in a row.

The temperature in the other parts of the country remained below 35 deg C as at Monday.

The weather forecast for Penang for the next few days indicates rain in one or two places, with temperatures expected to hover above 30 deg C.

Water levels at both dams on Penang island have dropped to about half their effective capacity, and Penangites have been urged to use water wisely until it returns to normal levels.

Penang Water Supply Corporation chief executive K. Pathmanathan said this followed low rainfall recorded at catchment areas for the Air Itam and Teluk Bahang reservoirs since early 2023.

“The water level at Air Itam Dam has dropped from 82.5 per cent to 51.8 per cent, while the level at Teluk Bahang dropped from 64 per cent to 51.3 per cent,” he said.

He added that the Penang state government has written to the National Disaster Management Agency seeking assistance for cloud seeding operations to induce rain, as the water level at the two dams is projected to drop to critical levels. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK