Dungun Residents Brave Unusually Cold 18-degree Celsius Temperatures

DUNGUN, Jan 14 (Bernama) -- Residents in this district, particularly in rural areas, have been experiencing unusually cold temperatures in the early morning over the past few days.

The mercury, dropping to between 18 and 20 degrees Celsius, has seen locals donning thick jackets to keep warm.

A check by Bernama at Kampung Pasir Raja in Hulu Dungun, which borders Jerantut, Pahang, this morning found the area shrouded in mist, though residents continued their daily activities as usual.

The atmosphere at Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Pasir Raja resembled that of Cameron Highlands, with most pupils arriving for classes wearing sweaters.

SK Pasir Raja headmaster Mohd Nor Azizi Kamarudin said the cold weather has been felt since the first day of the school term last Sunday.

“The village surroundings near the school are blanketed in mist every morning due to the drop in temperature,” he said when met at the school today.

Mohd Nor Azizi said the school recorded a low of 18 degrees Celsius at 7 am last Sunday, while subsequent days saw temperatures hovering around 20 degrees Celsius.

He added that the school has encouraged pupils to wear sweaters as a precaution to avoid health issues.

However, he expressed gratitude that attendance for all 43 pupils has remained at 100 per cent despite the cold snap.

Meanwhile, 11-year-old pupil Muhammad Fakhril Aryan Mohd Firdaus said that his mother had to wake up earlier this week to boil water for his bath before school.

“I cannot use the tap water as it is too cold. I have never experienced weather this cold before,” he said.

Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) Faculty of Science and Marine Environment lecturer Dr Chung Jing Xiang explained that the cold weather in Terengganu is caused by cold surges during the Northeast Monsoon.

He said that the phenomenon occurs when northeast winds originating from Siberia move into the region.

“These winds are originally cold and dry, but as they pass over the South China Sea, they absorb water vapour from the sea surface and become more humid. This wind is known as a cold surge,” he said in a statement today.

Chung added that based on historical temperature records in Terengganu, weather conditions typically return to normal between February and March.

-- BERNAMA