SUBANG: Fire hotspots nationwide remain under control, with only isolated cases detected as the country continues to experience a hot spell, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Zahid, who is also chairman of the National Disaster Management Committee, said there were currently no major fire hotspots, with only minor fire-affected areas detected.

"This includes a single location in Selangor. Other areas, such as Johor, have been observed from time to time, but overall the number is low," he said at a press conference at Subang Air Base.

He had earlier attended preparations for a cloud seeding operation, where four tanks of salt solution were loaded into a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) C-130 Hercules aircraft.

This round of operations focuses on 11 major dams categorised under alert, warning and critical levels, involving three northern states, namely, Perak, Kedah and Perlis, as well as Johor.

The operations will be concentrated at Timah Tasoh Dam in Perlis; Ahning, Pedu and Muda dams in Kedah; Temenggor and Bukit Merah dams in Perak; and Lebam, Upper Layang, Lower Layang, Gunung Pulai and Machap dams in Johor.

Meanwhile, MetMalaysia director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip, at the same press conference, said the intense heat currently being experienced is expected to persist until May.

"The heat will gradually ease by June. We are hoping to have increased rainfall, which would help mitigate the heat," he said.