Malaysia expecting heavy rain and flood

Malaysia is bracing for stormy weather and more rain as government agencies across the nation are prepping against possible floods. The Meteorological Department in a statement on Friday said the northeast monsoon is set to hit the country in early November, especially the states in the east coast of the west peninsular and the Sabah and Sarawak states in the east peninsular. The monsoon season is expected to last till March next year. Six northern states bordering Thailand and several cities in the east peninsular Malaysia are expecting rainfall of 20 to 40 percent above normal level in the coming months, according to the department. Local daily the Star reported that police were monitoring the flood situation in Thailand to prevent the bad weather condition from spreading to Malaysia. Malaysian authorities were quoted as saying that state federal agencies would hold a meeting next week to map out evacuation and aid distribution strategies with agricultural development authorities ready to regulate water drainage in rivers and canal for possible floods in mid-November. Some 13,239 officers from the fire and rescue department were reportedly put on stand-by for possible floods.