KOTA BARU: More than 1,000 members of the Kelantan Civil Defence Force are ready to be deployed for rescue operations in preparation of the upcoming flood season.
Its director Zainuddin Hussin said the members, from 10 districts in the state, would also coordinate with other related agencies on duty during the disaster.
"Our 1,231 members are ready to face any eventuality when the rainy season hits the state.
"Apart from that, we also have made other preparations to handle the floods in term of logistics and other neccessities," he said when contacted.
Zainuddin said the logistics aspect includes 700 life jackets, 81 boats and more than 70 lorries.
"The state civil defence force, as the secretariat committee for Kelantan disaster management have organised series of stimulation exercises as preparation to face the coming monsoon season.
"During the season, the rescue teams will be deployed according to the zones and this to avoid overlapping of work," he added.
He said a total of 539 flood relief centres would be set up throughout the state to accomodate some 200,000 victims.
"The Covid-19 positive patients and close contacts will be sent to separate flood relief centres and for that, we have provided 20 centres," he said.
Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah was reported to have said four to six episodes of significant heavy rain with possible flooding are expected to occur in the early phase of the North-East Monsoon from this month until January next year.
He said the North East Monsoon this time was expected to take place from early November until March next year.
He added that there would be episodes of heavy rainfall in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang from November till December while from December until January next year, heavy rain is expected to be more prevalent in Johor, Sabah and Sarawak.
Muhammad Helmi said Kelantan and Terengganu were expected to have higher than average rainfall of between 450 mm and 1,000 mm in November and December.