KOTA BARU, May 2 — The El Nino phenomenon hitting the country is expected to continue for the next two months, said Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

He said his ministry and the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) will monitor the weather transition.

According to him, forecasts indicate this year could be the country’s hottest year.

"The last time such hot weather struck the country was in 1998 in Perlis,” he told reporters after launching the Madani NRES adopted village in Kampung Aril, Melor, here today.

Nik Nazmi said Kelantan, Perlis and Kedah are experiencing higher temperatures than Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

He said, based on the report he received, the transition should have started with rain expected to come, but Malaysians are to experience hotter days for another one to two months, and the Meteorological Department will monitor this situation.

"Besides that, we will also monitor and be vigilant about haze in the country and across borders as we observe signs of peat fires,” he said.

Nik Nazmi said his ministry would join forces with the Energy Transition and Water Transformation Ministry to monitor water levels, adding that they may need to conduct a cloud seeding exercise.

The matter is under the attention of Nadma, he said.

"The cost of cloud seeding is high and depends on weather factors. Therefore, I will discuss this matter with the state government,” he added.

Nik Nazmi also advised students to drink enough water and wear appropriate school uniforms due to the hot weather. — Bernama