KUALA LUMPUR – Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry (NRES) will convene a National Committee on Haze and Dry Weather meeting on March 5, with participation from the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry (KPKM).
NRES Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the meeting follows a forecast by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) indicating that several areas across the country will experience hot and dry weather in the coming months, Bernama reported.
“Of course, we admit that there is no integration between weather forecasts and specific crop and harvest calendars to help farmers plan agricultural activities based on weather data now.
“However, MetMalaysia will hold discussions with KPKM for the purpose of integration. Currently, MetMalaysia shares meteorological information and data on the Public Sector Open Data Portal (DTSA) and has developed the MET Application Programming Interface (METAPI) to facilitate data integration,” he said during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was responding to a question from Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (PN-Kubang Kerian), who inquired about the ministry’s plans to integrate the weather forecast system with crop and harvest calendars to assist farmers in planning agricultural activities based on weather data.
Nik Nazmi said MetMalaysia also provides the Agricultural Meteorological Outlook and Weather Bulletin on a monthly basis via its website, serving as a reference for various agricultural agencies.
The agencies involved include the Department of Agriculture Malaysia, the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB), the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI), the National Water Research Institute of Malaysia (NAHRIM), and agricultural industry entrepreneurs.
“This report provides analysis and information on total rainfall, temperature, relative humidity, evaporation, and solar radiation each month,” he said.
To monitor the country’s hot and dry weather conditions, he said MetMalaysia has implemented various initiatives, including tracking daily maximum temperatures to determine hot weather status and reporting the number of consecutive days without rain.
Additionally, the department provides information and forecasts on fire-prone areas through the Fire Danger Rating System (FDRS), which is updated daily, monitors the status of El Niño and La Niña on a monthly basis, and produces a drought monitoring index, also updated monthly.
“All this information is accessible via the official MetMalaysia website and social media. If cloud seeding operations are necessary, we will coordinate with the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) to assess feasibility,” he said. – February 20, 2025