KUALA LUMPUR — The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) expects temperatures in several parts of the country to exceed 40 degrees Celsius next year, driven by a Super El Niño phenomenon forecast to reach its strongest intensity on record.

MetMalaysia director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said the phenomenon’s impact would typically begin to be felt towards the end of the Northeast Monsoon, particularly in the northern states of the Peninsula.

He added that the peak of the extreme heat was expected to coincide with the equinox period around March to April next year, further driving temperatures to extreme levels.

“The highest daily temperature ever recorded in the country was 40.1 degrees Celsius in Chuping, Perlis, during the Super El Niño phenomenon of 1997/1998.

“Given that this phenomenon is forecast to be stronger than previous episodes, compounded by global warming, temperatures can surpass that record and reach 40.5 or even 41 degrees Celsius,” he said during an appearance on Bernama Radio’s Fokus 30 programme titled Super El Niño: Kesan Kepada Negara (Super El Niño: Impact on the Nation), today.

He added that Muslims are expected to fast and celebrate Hari Raya in very hot weather next year, and that visiting and outdoor pursuits should therefore be avoided for the sake of safety and health.

“The sun is directly overhead during the equinox, and without sufficient cloud cover due to the dry weather, direct exposure to heat can have adverse effects,” he cautioned.

Mohd Hisham said the current weather environment was still at the ordinary El Niño stage and would have to pass gradually through the weak, moderate and strong phases before developing into a very strong or Super El Niño by the end of this year.

He said Malaysia had faced three Super El Niño events before, in 1982/1983, 1997/1998 and 2015/2016, during which the country’s daily weather became extremely hot.