KUALA LUMPUR, June 15 (Xinhua) -- The El Niño weather phenomenon is expected to cause prolonged dry weather and reduced rainfall lasting into early 2027, the Meteorological Department has warned.
Measures are being taken to address the situation, including strengthening the dissemination of weather information and early warnings to the government and the public, as well as preparing for cloud seeding and firefighting operations to combat expected peatland and forest fires driven by the hot and dry conditions, the department's director-general, Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip, said in a statement on Sunday.
El Niño is a natural climate pattern characterized by unusually warm ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, resulting in heavy rainfall and floods in some regions while causing severe droughts and increased temperatures in others. ■
