KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The persistent high temperatures affecting Malaysia over the past few weeks are expected to last till June, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup said on Tuesday.
Parts of the country have already seen high temperatures of over 37.5 degrees Celsius, and it is likely that temperatures will rise in coming months, Arthur told a press briefing.
While the government recently conducted a first round of cloud seeding across several states, Arthur conceded that the results have not yet provided a definitive solution to the looming water crisis, as water levels in strategic dams continue to drop, and that a second round of cloud seeding operations has been requested for next week.
Beyond the immediate threat to water supplies, Arthur also expressed concerns regarding air quality, adding that the prolonged lack of rain significantly increases the risk of haze. ■