PETALING JAYA: Malaysia's flood situation has improved with many evacuees returning home in stages following the easing of the tropical storm Senyar.
The storm was the second tropical cyclone documented to enter the Straits of Malacca when it made a landfall on the peninsula on Friday, resulting in continuous heavy rain across multiple states.
With the storm seemingly easing, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has lifted its continuous rain warning.
"Based on weather model analysis, the weather is expected to improve. There is no potential for continuous rainfall," MetMalaysia director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said in a statement yesterday.
However, MetMalaysia advised the public to be prepared for episodes of heavy rainfall during the monsoon season.
"The people should keep abreast of weather information, advisories, forecasts and warnings issued through our website at www.met.gov.my and our official social media channels," he said.
The tropical storm and the consequent heavy rainfall resulted in floods across 34 districts in nine states namely Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Selangor, Perak, Pahang, Negri Sembilan and Melaka.
This led to a total of 33,526 people, consisting of 10,193 families, displaced. According to the National Disaster Control Centre (NDCC), two deaths were recorded as of 4pm yesterday.
Terengganu was the worst-hit state with 10,156 victims across seven districts.
This was followed by Perak (6,586), Perlis (5,246), Selangor (4,342), Kedah (3,052), Kelantan (1,940), Pahang (1,739), Negri Sembilan (379) and Melaka (86).
A total of 298 flood relief centres were activated across these states to house the flood victims.
The number has since dropped to 25,321 victims at 290 centres nationwide as of 6.20pm yesterday, according to the Social Welfare Department's (JKM) InfoBencanaJKM website.
However, a total of 20 rivers across the country are still at dangerous level with 15 others at warning level.
According to the latest data from the Irrigation and Drainage Department, the Timah Tasoh Dam and Sungai Perlis in Kampung Sungai Bakau are at dangerous level.
In Kedah, Sungai Anak Bukit in Taman Aman and Sungai Baru in Kampung Sungai Baru are still at warning level while Sungai Bata in Kampung Pahana is at dangerous level.
In Perak, Sungai Slim in Slim River is still at a dangerous level while in Negri Sembilan, the Sungai Muar in Kampung Londah is also at dangerous level.
In Selangor, Kampung Rantau Panjang, Parit Mahang and Jambatan SKC are at warning level while Kampung Asahan, Pintu Air Ijok, Bukit Changgang and Pekan Meru are at dangerous level.
In Melaka, Sungai Melaka in Durian Tunggal and the Pump House in Telok Rimba are at warning level while the Cheng river is at dangerous level.
In Johor, Sungai Muar in Kampung Awat and Sungai Tangkak in Kampung Seri Ma'amor are at warning level while Sungai Kesang in Telok Rimba and Sungai Lenik in Ladang Chaah are at dangerous level.
In Terengganu, Sungai Nerus in Kampung Jeram, Sungai Dungun at Jambatan Jerangau, Sungai Setiu at Jambatan Permaisuri, Sungai Besut at Jambatan Keruak and Kampung Kuala Ping are all at warning level.
Meanwhile, Sungai Nerus in Kampung Bukit, Sungai Kemaman at House Pump Paya Paman, Sungai Tebak at Jambatan Tebak, Sungai Dungun in Kuala Jengai, Sungai Marang at Jambatan Pengkalan Berangan, another stretch of Sungai Nerus in Kampung Bukit and Sungai Paka in Kampung Luit and Kampung Langkap are all listed under dangerous level.
In Kelantan, Sungai Kelantan in Kuala Krai is at a warning level while Sungai Golok in Rantau Panjang has reached a dangerous level.
MetMalaysia also issued advisory for a tropical depression detected at latitude 4.8° north and longitude 106.8° east off the Terengganu coast, moving at 15kph as of 6.20pm yesterday.
The storm, located some 377km north-east of Dungun, is estimated to have maximum wind speeds up to 56kph which may generate strong winds and rough seas over the South China Sea.
A tropical depression refers to the early stage of the formation of a tropical cyclone and is usually characterised by rotating winds and cloud formations, but with relatively low wind speeds.