Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia mengalami peningkatan empat kali ganda kejadian gelombang haba sejak tahun 1960-an.

Menurut satu laporan media tempatan semalam, analisis Tabung Kanak-kanak Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu (UNICEF) mendedahkan, negara kini mengalami purata lapan gelombang haba setiap tahun, dengan setiap gelombang berlangsung kira-kira lima hari.

Ini berbanding hanya dua gelombang haba setahun dengan tempoh sehingga empat hari pada tahun 1960-an.

Analisis kajian yang diterbitkan semalam itu turut menunjukkan peningkatan tahap keterukan gelombang haba dengan suhu naik daripada 35 darjah Celsius melebihi purata pada 1960-an kepada 69 darjah Celsius melebihi purata bagi 2020-an.

Bagaimanapun, analisis itu tidak menyatakan suhu purata tempatan pada tahun 1960-an dan 2020-an.

Menurut definisi UNICEF, keterukan gelombang haba merujuk kepada suhu yang melebihi purata 15 hari tempatan.

Analisis turut mencatatkan, musim panas dan kering di Malaysia kini bermula lebih awal, satu trend semakin teruk akibat kejadian El Nino dan mencerminkan kadar perubahan iklim yang pesat.

Ini menimbulkan risiko kepada kira-kira 750,000 kanak-kanak di Malaysia yang kini tinggal di kawasan yang mengalami dua kali ganda hari dengan suhu melebihi 35 darjah Celsius, berbanding 1960-an.

Analisis itu juga mendapati, secara global kira-kira 466 juta kanak-kanak atau satu dalam lima kanak-kanak yang tinggal di kawasan yang mengalami sekurang-kurangnya dua kali ganda bilangan hari sangat panas berbanding 60 tahun lalu.

Di 16 negara, kanak-kanak kini menghadapi tambahan hari sangat panas melebihi sebulan setiap tahun berbanding enam dekad lalu.

Risiko kesihatan serius

UNICEF berkata, Afrika Barat dan Afrika Tengah menghadapi pendedahan tertinggi, dengan 123 juta kanak-kanak mengalami sehingga 212 hari sangat panas setiap tahun.

Amerika Latin dan Caribbean juga menyaksikan peningkatan yang ketara.

Dalam konteks gelombang haba, kanak-kanak di 100 negara kini mengalami dua kali ganda gelombang haba berbanding 60 tahun yang lalu.

Dalam pada itu, UNICEF memberi amaran bahawa kepanasan melampau menimbulkan risiko kesihatan serius termasuk komplikasi kehamilan, kekurangan zat makanan kanak-kanak, penyakit berkaitan haba dan masalah kesihatan mental.

Ia juga memburukkan keadaan kesihatan sedia ada dan meningkatkan masalah penyakit berjangkit.

Justeru, UNICEF menyeru semua negara anggota Perjanjian Paris termasuk Malaysia untuk mengemukakan kemas kini pelan iklim nasional, yang akan memandu tindakan iklim dalam dekad akan datang.

Taman Tasik Taiping serta Empangan Bukit Merah, Perak yang sebelum ini dilaporkan kering akibat kemarau, kini hampir pulih susulan kekerapan penerimaan hujan beberapa minggu lalu. Tinjauan di Taman Tasik Taiping mendapati kawasan itu kini sudah mula dipenuhi air.

PETALING JAYA: Several parts of the country are expected to see brief downpours and thunderstorms over the next few days due to the “squall line” weather phenomenon, say weather experts.

A squall line is a cluster of storms spread out in a line, often accompanied by “squalls” of high wind and heavy rain for a brief period.

Malaysian Meteorological Department (Metmalaysia) director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said some parts of the country are expected to experience wet weather over the next few days.

“The weather is expected to be wet in the early and late evenings until the end of this week,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Asked if the current wet spell was due to the La Nina weather phenomenon, Mohd Hisham said it was not.

“The La Nina weather phenomenon has yet to begin.

“The current wet spell is due to weaker southwest monsoon winds,” he added.

The southwest monsoon began in mid-may and is expected to continue until next month.

Based on projections by Metmalaysia, heavy showers, strong winds and thunderstorms due to the squall line could affect the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, north of Sarawak and west of Sabah.

Meteorological expert Prof Datuk Dr Azizan Abu Samah said the recent heavy showers and thunderstorms coupled with the squall line phenomenon were the likely cause of flooding in several districts in Melaka and Negri Sembilan.

“The floods are associated with heavy thunderstorms and the squall line moving from the coast to inland, especially the west coast of the peninsula,” he said.

As for the recent flooding in Labuan, he said it was caused by a different cluster of thunderstorms, and not due to La Nina, which has yet to develop.

Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) said the number of flood victims has reduced in Melaka and Labuan.

As at 4pm yesterday, there were 50 victims in Melaka involving 15 families, and 12 in Labuan involving three families.

The families are currently housed in seven flood relief centres, Nadma said in a statement.

On Monday, over 400 people in Melaka and more than 70 in Negri Sembilan were moved to various flood relief centres while residents in Labuan moved to higher ground after floods affected some areas in the two states and the Federal Territory.

Melaka was the most affected, with 419 people from 123 families evacuated to seven shelters in Alor Gajah.

THE Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) is implementing phase one of its crisis management plan to ensure water supply sufficiency until next month, the Penang government said.

State Infrastructure Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said PBAPP would optimise water production at the Batu Ferringgi Water Treatment Plant (WTP) and Guillemard WTP without overly compromising the effective capacity of Teluk Bahang dam to deliver as much treated water into service areas of the Waterfall and Sungai Pinang WTP.

He said PBAPP was also stepping up production of treated water at the Air Itam WTP without overly compromising the effective capacity of Air Itam dam.

“This will reduce Air Itam’s dependency on treated water from Sungai Dua, which can be diverted to the Waterfall WTP’s service area.

“Similarly, PBAPP is controlling valves and pumping operations to deliver as much treated water into service areas of the Waterfall and Sungai Pinang WTP,” he told the New Straits Times.

Zairil said PBAPP would also deploy water tankers and static tanks to affected areas.

“They are also controlling valves and pumping operations during off-peak hours on weekends to optimise refilling of key reservoirs (Bukit Dumbar, Bukit Gedung and Teluk Kumbar).

“This will ensure continuous water supply in the southwest district during peak hours on weekdays when water demand is high in industrial areas,.”

Zairil said PBAPP was also communicating with the Badan Kawal Selia Air to manage irrigation water abstractions from Sungai Muda.

The NST reported that raw water reserves at the Teluk Bahang and Air Itam dams had dropped to dangerously low levels, raising concerns about potential shortages.

On Monday, the Teluk Bahang dam was at 26.4 per cent capacity, while the Air Itam dam stood at 29.7 per cent.

Both are below the critical threshold of 30 per cent, which is considered a dangerous level.

Yesterday, the Teluk Bahang dam was at 26.6 per cent capacity, while the Air Itam dam stood at 28.9 per cent.

PBAPP chief executive officer Datuk K. Pathmanathan warned that if there was no rainfall, the water at the Air Itam dam could last less than a month, and the Teluk Bahang dam could sustain supply for about 80 days.

PBAPP had requested cloud seeding to replenish the dams and is awaiting the federal government’s response.

Last week, the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) said that the Teluk Bahang dam, along with two other dams, was at a dangerous level, while five other dams, including Air Itam, were at a warning level.

On cloud seeding, Zairil said Nadma was in the process of obtaining the Malaysian Meteorological Department’s analysis and availability of a Royal Malaysian Air Force flight.

Nadma carried out cloud seeding targeting the Bukit Merah dam in Perak and the Muda dam in Kedah from July 29 to July 31.

Moderate to heavy rain was recorded in its target areas and their surroundings on all three days of cloud seeding.

This resulted in the concentration of moist air in northern part of the peninsula, which will indirectly benefit both the Air Itam and Teluk Bahang dams in due course.