EQUINOX HAS NO SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON MALAYSIAN WEATHER 

He said that this is because countries near the Equator, such as Malaysia, typically experience consistently equal day and night cycles throughout the year.

The equinox occurs twice a year on March 20 and September 22.

“The hot weather in Malaysia is often associated with the equinox due to coincidental timing. However, for tropical countries near the Equator, the impact is not significant. According to studies, the temperature difference during the equinox is only 0.1 to 0.2 percent,” Mohd Hisham said during an online interview with reporters today.

An equinox is a phenomenon that occurs when the sun is directly above the Equator, causing the entire world to experience equal 12-hour day and night cycles.

Commenting on the current hot weather in Malaysia, Mohd Hisham attributed it to low humidity, the El Niño phenomenon, and global warming.

“The dry air is due to the end of the Northeast Monsoon phase, during which our weather conditions change. Moist weather systems are in the south of our country, such as in Indonesia, while our country is relatively dry, resulting in less rainfall and hot weather,” he said.

Mohd Hisham warned that the daily maximum temperature trend in several areas in northern Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah shows an increase, potentially leading to extreme heatwaves with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius.

“Our increasing temperatures cannot be denied. The risk of our weather reaching 40 degrees Celsius is high in the next two to three weeks,” he said, adding that the hot weather in Malaysia is expected to end in May but may continue until June.–BERNAMA