Malaysia faces searing heatwave as temperatures hit high of 37 degrees
Health experts warn that the methods used in Malaysia to assess health risks from extreme heat are inadequate
Malaysia is bracing for another heatwave with temperatures topping 37 degrees Celsius in certain areas as experts warn of the serious health threats faced by residents due to the adverse weather conditions.
Last week, MetMalaysia issued a Level 1 advisory after six areas in Peninsular Malaysia experienced maximum daily temperatures of between 35 and 37 degrees for three consecutive days.
The alert by the meteorological department came amid the southwest monsoon season, which began in May and is set to persist till mid-September, bringing hot and dry weather and reduced rainfall across most regions.
Health experts warned that the country’s current heat warning system remained inadequate, according to a report in The Star newspaper, as it overlooked the wet-bulb temperature (WBT), a key metric that assesses the threat faced by humans based on heat and humidity levels.
WBT measures the lowest temperature air can reach through evaporative cooling, like sweat evaporating from skin. The higher the WBT is, the more risk humans face.
Sustained temperatures between 31 and about 35 degrees, along with humidity levels above 90 per cent, are known to cause high WBT readings in a specific area, the experts said.
“When the air is very humid, sweat doesn’t evaporate efficiently,” Victor Hoe, a public health specialist at Universiti Malaya said. “This reduces our body’s ability to cool down, leading to overheating, which can be dangerous or even deadly,” he added.
Warning signs of heat exhaustion or heatstroke include fatigue, dizziness, nausea, a rapid pulse and loss of consciousness, with the elderly, pregnant women, children as well as outdoor workers more susceptible to the dangers.
Under these circumstances, immediate cooling and medical attention are critical to prevent life-threatening complications, according to the experts.
“What we’re facing is more than just uncomfortable weather,” Hoe said.
Sanjay Rampal, who is also a public health specialist at Universiti Malaya, said the country’s current meteorological system did not factor humidity and recommended that it should also consider introducing a heat index combining temperature and humidity.
He warned that a WBT reading below 35 degrees could still be indicative of a public health threat.
According to MetMalaysia director general Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip, some areas could still experience heavy rain, strong winds and thunderstorms despite the scorching heat, according to a report by the New Straits Times newspaper.
Last year, a heatwave caused critical water shortages in northern Peninsular Malaysia, threatening rice yields and depleting dam reservoirs to dangerously low levels.
