KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 — Penang is the latest state to be affected by floods, with two relief centres (PPS) opened following heavy rain for more than two hours in several areas from 3.30pm yesterday.

State Environment and Welfare Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh said as of 2am today, 38 people from nine families were taking shelter at Dewan Komuniti Kubang Menerong in the Seberang Perai Utara district, while 21 people from eight families at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Bakap Indah in Seberang Perai Selatan.

"The situation was worsened by the high-tide phenomenon. Most of the houses were inundated for up to 0.6 metres, but the flood started to recede in several areas last night,” he said when contacted.

Meanwhile, the number of flood evacuees in Kedah and Sarawak is on the rise and dropped in Johor and Sabah this morning.

In Kedah, Bandar Baharu district Civil Defence Force officer Abdul Rahim Khairuddin said the number of flash flood victims housed at SK Relau rose to 35 people from 11 families this morning, compared to 14 people from seven families last night.

"Heavy rain for two hours yesterday afternoon caused three villages to be affected, namely Kampung Kilang Batu, Kampung 300 Kaki and Kampung Tengah. Today’s weather condition is good, and the floods are starting to recede,” he said in a statement today.

In Sarawak, the State Disaster Management Committee (JPBN) informed that the number of evacuees in Serian increased to 193 this morning compared to 180 people last night. They were housed at two PPS in SK St Peter and Dewan Kampung Mundai.

In Johor, the state JPBN said there was a drop in the number of evacuees to 821 people as of 8 am today, compared to 846 people at 8pm yesterday.

A total of 795 people from 225 families are taking shelter at five PPS in Batu Pahat, while 26 people from nine families are housed at one PPS in Segamat.

In Sabah, the state JPBN secretariat, in a statement, said the number of flood victims housed at seven PPS dropped to 298 people from 85 families this morning, compared to 452 people from 137 families last night. — Bernama