Reported by Utusan (28 Dec 2014) there were log wood deposited on the road and villages after the flood water receded. This is evidence of logging activities in the catchment areas.
http://www.utusan.com.my/polopoly_fs/1.41927.1419772752!/image/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_650/image.jpg
Tonnes of log, and rubbish has been brought down by flood . About 300,000 to 400,000 tonnes of garbages were collected or brought down by the flood. http://www.utusan.com.my/berita/nahas-bencana/400-000-tan-8232-sampah-dikumpul-1.47429
and alam flora reported mountains of debris
https://www.facebook.com/alamflorasdnbhd/photos/a.218987731446456.65558.216976404980922/918204314858124/?type=1&theater
Heavy downpours
Drainage and Irrigation Department Malaysia also reported a high amount of rainfall in the catchment area causing large amount of water in the river and inundated to the floodplain together with high water in the coast causing water to rise and flooded Kelantan and Terengganu. It was reported that the normal amount of rainfall was only about 400-500 mm per month but now it has become to about 1000mm per month (Source : DID). Met Office reported the highest record rainfall for Kelantan was during the Dec 2014 at 1226.3mm (Can you imagine the average annual rainfall for Malaysia is 2500-3000mm).
Climate Change
We cannot deny the effect of climate change on flooding as has been pointed out by researcher. See paper by Loo, Billa and Ajit Singh (2014). Geoscience Frontiers. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S167498711400036X
Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) in the upper atmosphere
Another related phenomema is the atmospheric circulation called the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) situated about 8 km above which is not always there, but when it is there is turn big showers into giant showers. Refer to to Rob Mc Elwee of Al-Jazeera (27 Dec 2014) who cited MJO at
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/precip/CWlink/MJO/mjo.shtml
The Madden–Julian oscillation, or (MJO), is the largest element of the intraseasonal (30–90 day) variability in the tropical atmosphere, and was discovered by Roland Madden andPaul Julian of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in 1971. It is a large-scale coupling between atmospheric circulation and tropical deep convection.[13][14] Rather than being a standing pattern like the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the MJO is a traveling pattern that propagates eastward at approximately 4 to 8 m/s (9 to 18 mph), through the atmosphere above the warm parts of the Indian and Pacific oceans. This overall circulation pattern manifests itself in various ways, most clearly as anomalousrainfall. The wet phase of enhanced convection and precipitation is followed by a dry phase where thunderstorm activity is suppressed. Each cycle lasts approximately 30–60 days.[15] Because of this pattern, The MJO is also known as the 30–60 day oscillation, 30–60 day wave, or intraseasonal oscillation.
No comments:
Post a Comment