Heavy rain is forecast to take place in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and parts of Johor in during the monsoon season from November to March next year.

Meteorological Department director-general Che Gayah Ismail said rainfall of 500 to 600 milimetres a month were expected during the period which might cause floods especially in low-lying areas.

“However, the situation is normal, not like what transpired during the last monsoon season such as in Kemaman and Kuantan,” she told reporters after opening a public awareness campaign on earthquakes, tsunami and extreme weather at Sekolah Kebangsaan Dalam Rhu in Pasir Puteh yesterday.

Che Gayah said during the period, the El Nino phenomenon, if it took place, would be a low-level affair of only between 50 percent to 60 percent, and not as speculated by certain quarters that allege the country would experience a big storm.

Meanwhile, she said the department had a state-of-the art disaster early warning detection technology system on par with countries such as Japan and the United States for detecting natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis.

- Bernama