Sabah braces for drought

Sabah braces for drought

KUALA LUMPUR (DPA): Authorities in Malaysia's Sabah state on
Borneo island forecast a potential drought as a result of a
prolonged dry season brought on by the weather phenomenon known
as El Nino, a newspaper said yesterday.

The dry spell is also expected to affect neighboring Sarawak
state and the southern Philippines, Sabah Meteorological Services
Department Director Cheng Kung Theu was quoted as saying by the
Star daily.

He said the dry season had come early in December, and little
rainfall was expected in the region until the end of May, when
afternoon thunderstorms were forecast.

The year-end monsoon, which brings heavy downpours to most
easterly parts of Malaysia, usually lasts from November to
February.