JOHOR BAHRU, Oct 13 — Malaysia needs to brace itself for the Super El Niño phenomenon, which is expected to bring scorching weather between March and May next year, potentially breaking the country’s record high temperature of 40.1 degrees Celsius.

Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said the country’s maximum temperature could exceed 41 degrees Celsius, based on analysis of the current intense El Niño phenomenon, alongside the impacts of climate change and global warming.

“If we look at current climate change trends, the rate of temperature increase in the country is approximately 0.13 degrees Celsius per decade.

“It has been nearly 30 years since 1998, when combined with the temperature spikes associated with El Niño, the increase could exceed one degree Celsius above the 40.1-degree record set back then. We anticipate that temperatures reaching 41 degrees Celsius or higher are likely to occur. That is our projection,” he said.

He made these remarks at a press conference following the National Climate Forum 2026 at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) here today. The forum, themed “Preparedness Today, Resilience Tomorrow,” was attended by over 500 participants from various government departments and ministries.

Malaysia previously recorded its highest-ever temperature of 40.1 degrees Celsius in Chuping, Perlis, on April 9, 1998, during the 1997/1998 El Niño episode, while the peak temperature during the 2015/2016 episode was 39.3 degrees Celsius, recorded in Batu Embun, Pahang, on April 10, 2016.