
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has issued a bad weather warning with incessant heavy rain for several areas in Pahang and Johor today.
MetMalaysia in a statement said the rain has been forecast for Pekan and Rompin in Pahang, as well as Mersing in Johor.
It said the districts of Raub, Bentong, Temerloh, Maran, Kuantan and Bera in Pahang as well as Segamat and Kluang in Johor, are expected to experience similar weather until tomorrow.
Heavy rain is also expected in some areas in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang (Cameron Highlands, Lipis and Jerantut) and Johor (Tangkak and Muar) until tomorrow.
“The same weather forecast also applies to the districts of Batu Pahat, Pontian, Kulai, Kota Tinggi and Johor Bahru until today,” it said.
Several areas in west coast states in the peninsula, Sarawak and several areas in Sabah are expected to experience thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds in the evening and up to early in the night during the period.
MetMalaysia said, these situations have the potential to cause flash floods especially in low-lying areas.
MetMalaysia also said that strong northeast winds of more than 60km per hour and waves as high as 4.5 metres are expected to occur in the waters off Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, eastern Johor, Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan during that time.
These pose the risk of seawater overflowing onto the coastal stretches and at river mouths in the affected places, it said.
Meanwhile, floods in Johor have now affected seven districts with the number of evacuees rising to 5,818 people from 1,540 families as of 8am today, compared with 1,780 victims from 500 families last night.
Johor state health and environment committee chairman R Vidyananthan said Mersing and Pontian were the latest flood-affected districts, apart from Kluang, Kota Tinggi, Johor Bahru, Kulai and Batu Pahat.
He said 28 more temporary relief centres (PPS) had been opened, bringing the total in the state to 56.
Jalan Johor Bahru-Kota Mersing has been closed to all types of vehicles after it was inundated with 0.2m of water.