SHAH ALAM (March 1):  Water levels at seven dams in Selangor remain stable despite the ongoing heatwave in the country, said State Infrastructure and Agriculture Committee chairman Izham Hashim.

He said that three dams currently stood at 85% capacity, while the rest surpassed the 90% mark.

“No dams have reached critical levels. If water levels drop below 70%, we consider it critical and will take precautionary measures.

“I think the El Nino effects in Selangor will likely occur in the second quarter, around June. Currently, we’re still experiencing rainfall and water levels remain steady,” he told reporters when met at the Wisma Dewan Negeri Selangor lobby here on Friday.

On Thursday, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia), in a statement on its Facebook page, said that alert-level hot weather was recorded in 21 areas across the country, including in Sepang, Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.

The alert level refers to a daily maximum temperature of 35 to 37 degrees Celsius for at least three consecutive days.

MetMalaysia previously said that the country is in the final phase of the Northeast monsoon, during which reduced rainfall is expected in the northern peninsula, and results in hotter, drier weather conditions than usual.