ALOR STAR: Tropical storm Pabuk which is likely to hit the east coast of the peninsula will not strike Pulau Langkawihead-on.
Instead the tourism island is likely only to face the side effects.
Penang Meteorological Department director Ling Leong Kwok, said this is due to the location of the storm which is positioned some 200km to the north and this will make impossible for it to impact Langkawi directly.
He said as such, residents and tourists need not panic with the situation.
However, Leong said that they need to be vigilant of the accompanying strong winds and heavy rain, from the tail end of the storm.
"Tropical storm Pabuk is now positioned in South China Sea resulting in extreme weather in the east coast and it is moving northwest into the Gulf of Siam and it is expected to barrel through the Kra isthmus before entering the Andaman Sea.
"So it will not impact Langkawi as the island is located on the fringe of the Pabuk tropical storm which is some 200km north ... far for it to impact Langkawi.
"As such, residents and tourists should remain calm," he told NSTP, here, today.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) reminded members of the public and coastal communities along the east coast of the peninusla to be vigilant of the storm which will likely to continue till Sunday.
The Malaysian Meteorological Department his morning reported that the tropical storm located at 6.1 degrees North, 104.5 degrees East, is expected to move at 15 km per hour northwest towards the Kra isthmus.
At the same time, Leong adviced residents and tourists to be vigilant and avoid water based activities in the sea due to the storm which could whip-up wind speeds from 30 to 50 km per hour leading to turbulent seas.
He said residents and fisherman should avoid going to the sea until Sunday.