KUALA LUMPUR, May 14 — The south-west monsoon is expected to begin this Friday and will continue until September, causing most places across the country to experience more rain-free days than rainy days.

Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said, this season, the wind usually blows consistently from the south-west with lower air humidity and more stable atmospheric conditions.

"This causes a lack of rain cloud formation which leads to lower rainfall during the period,” he said in a statement today.

However, he said heavy rain with strong winds and lightning due to the squall line phenomenon could still occur on the west coast of the peninsula, north of Sarawak and west of Sabah, especially in the early morning.

Muhammad Helmi said a squall line is a line of thunderstorms formed due to the concentration of wind and can last up to several hours.

In addition, he said during the south-west monsoon, the haze phenomenon can occur if open burning is not controlled, especially from July to September.

Therefore, he advised the public to avoid open burning, besides encouraging them to use water sparingly throughout the season.

According to him, the latest weather information can be obtained through its website, myCuaca mobile application, the department’s official social media sites and the MetMalaysia hotline at 1-300-22-1638. — Bernama