TROPICAL STORM SENYAR TO HIT SELANGOR, PERAK, PARTS OF PAHANG FROM MIDNIGHT

PETALING JAYA, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- Residents in Selangor, Perak and parts of Pahang have been advised to remain vigilant as Tropical Storm Senyar, which brings unsettled weather, is expected to strike continuously from as early as midnight tonight until Saturday.

Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Ani said the tropical storm was detected entering the Strait of Malacca since 3.30 pm today and was expected to bring continuous heavy rain, strong winds, and rough seas.

“Tropical Storm Senyar was detected at Latitude 3.6° North and Longitude 100.4° East, about 94 kilometres northeast of Tanjung Balai, Indonesia. It is expected to move eastwards at a speed of nine kilometres (km) per hour and may reach maximum wind speeds of up to 50 km per hour.

“We also anticipate that the storm will hit the border areas of Perak, Selangor and parts of Pahang starting midnight tonight or early tomorrow morning. The Senyar cyclonic system has a diameter of approximately 100 kilometres and will move towards the South China Sea.

“Other areas that will also be affected by this phenomenon include Kedah, Penang, the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Johor,” he said at an emergency MetMalaysia press conference here today.

Mohd Hisham said Peninsular Malaysia was expected to receive rainfall ranging from 200mm to 300mm over the next 24 hours until Saturday.

“This range is lower compared to our neighbours in Aceh, Indonesia, which experienced the same tropical storm and recorded 600mm of rain in less than 36 hours.

“So when it reaches our country, it will not be at the highest intensity as it has already weakened slightly,” he said.

Mohd Hisham said the country had previously been directly hit by tropical storms twice: Tropical Storm Greg in western Sabah on Dec 26, 1996, and Tropical Storm Vamei in southern Peninsular Malaysia on Dec 26, 2001.

“Malaysia is generally outside the tropical storm path due to its position along the equator.

“If Tropical Storm Senyar occurs today, it would be the third incident and most notably, it is happening in the Strait of Malacca, which has never occurred before, thus drawing the attention of researchers worldwide,” said Mohd Hisham.

He explained that Tropical Storm Senyar occurred due to a very strong typhoon forming in the South China Sea, which influenced weather across the region.

“When a major typhoon occurs in the South China Sea, it draws in wind and moisture from surrounding areas. At the same time, there is a low-pressure system in southern Thailand.

“Both systems interacted and caused the weather to become more unstable, helping the formation of Tropical Storm Senyar in the Strait of Malacca for the first time,” he explained.

He said MetMalaysia had issued advisories regarding the storm since last Sunday when it entered its monitoring area.

“We will also update information every three hours and advise the public to remain alert to information and weather warnings issued by MetMalaysia through its website, the myCuaca app, official social media, and the hotline at 1-300-22-1638,” he said.

-- BERNAMA