Flash floods hit nine areas of Langkawi in the wet season’s last rains
Water rose to about 0.4 metres in nine areas on Sunday, and a village road in Kampung Belak was under water again this morning. MetMalaysia’s continuous-rain warning naming Langkawi runs until Monday; the Northeast Monsoon begins on Tuesday, but for Langkawi it is the drier season.
Continuous rain over the weekend has left parts of Langkawi under water. The Langkawi Civil Defence Force (APM) said on Sunday, 25 October, that flash floods had hit nine areas of the island, with water reaching about 0.4 metres. District Civil Defence officer Major (PA) Khairul Afzan Md Yasin said the situation was under control but the water had not yet begun to recede, and that teams were patrolling the affected areas. As of Sunday evening, no temporary relief centres had been opened and no deaths had been reported.
The areas flooded on Sunday were Kampung Kenyum, Kampung Bohor Berendam, Pasar Awam Padang Matsirat, Kampung Tua Jalan Tanjung Rhu, Kampung Bohor, Telaga Ayer Hangat, Kampung Atas, Kampung Bohor Masjid and Kampung Lubok Setol. Village roads such as Kampung Belak’s are flooding again today.
MetMalaysia issued an alert-level (Waspada) continuous-rain warning at 9.45am on Sunday, valid until Monday, 26 October. It covers all of Perlis and Penang, nine districts of Kedah including Langkawi, and seven districts of Perak.
In Kuah town, short, heavy downpours flood the streets and test the drainage, but the water clears quickly once the rain eases. In our file photos from last week, the same spot is under water in one frame and mostly dry about 30 minutes later. The same pattern is repeating around the island today.
This is the tail end of Langkawi’s wet season. MetMalaysia says the Southwest Monsoon, which began on 14 May, has ended, and that the monsoon transition period, running from 9 October to the end of the month, brings thunderstorms and heavy rain to west-coast states, mostly in the afternoon and early evening, with flash floods possible. Langkawi’s wetter season typically runs to the end of October. Its moisture comes from the Andaman Sea and the Indian Ocean, and it brings more rain than usual, but it rarely rains all day. Even in the wettest months, most days stay dry, with clear skies and great sunsets.
The Northeast Monsoon is due to begin on Tuesday, 27 October, and run to March 2027. MetMalaysia expects three to five episodes of heavy rain nationwide in its early phase, from November to January. That rain falls on the east coast of the Peninsula, where the monsoon winds arrive straight off the South China Sea, and it dries out as it crosses to the west coast — leaving Langkawi mostly dry with clear skies. From December to March the island is in its dry season, often going weeks without a drop of rain.
MetMalaysia’s forecast for Langkawi has thunderstorms across the island all day on Monday. On Tuesday, storms are forecast to be widespread in the morning and isolated in the afternoon, with no rain at night, and Wednesday and Thursday show isolated thunderstorms by day. Updates are available at met.gov.my, on the myCuaca app, and on the hotline 1-300-22-1638.
If you have seen flooding in your area, tell us where in the comments.