MetMalaysia warns of intense storms across peninsula until noon

KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 — The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has triggered a thunderstorm alert for a wide stretch of Peninsular Malaysia this morning.

Residents are urged to prepare for heavy rain and strong winds, with the warning remaining active until 12:00pm today.

The warning, issued at 9:10am, covers parts of Kedah, including Langkawi, Kulim and Bandar Baharu, as well as the whole of Penang.

In Perak, the affected districts are Kerian, Larut, Matang and Selama, Kuala Kangsar, Manjung, Kinta, Perak Tengah, Kampar, Bagan Datuk, Hilir Perak, Batang Padang and Muallim.

The warning also extends to Raub district in Pahang, the entire state of Selangor, the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, the Negeri Sembilan districts of Seremban, Port Dickson and Rembau, and the whole of Melaka.

According to MetMalaysia, thunderstorm warnings are issued when there are signs that a storm could bring rainfall intensity exceeding 20mm an hour, with such heavy downpours either imminent or expected to persist for more than an hour.

These warnings are classified as short-term advisories, each valid for a maximum of six hours from the time of issuance.

Residents and motorists in the affected areas, particularly those in flood-prone and low-lying locations, have been advised to exercise caution and to monitor further updates from MetMalaysia as conditions develop.