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.