As of August 3, six regions in Malaysia have recorded three consecutive days of abnormally high temperatures, ranging between 35°C and 37°C, prompting the government to initiate cloud seeding operations to combat worsening drought conditions.
According to Oriental Daily, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that the affected areas include Bandar Baru (Kedah), Selama (Perak), Temerloh (Pahang), Limbang (Sarawak), Tenom, and Pitas (Sabah).
Dam levels critically low at 12%
Speaking after participating in a cloud seeding operation from Subang Air Force Base, alongside National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) Director-General Datuk Abdul Halim and MetMalaysia Deputy Director of Strategy and Technology Mohamad Zunaidi, Zahid said the government has already launched artificial rain efforts at the critically low Bukit Merah Dam in Perak.
He revealed that the Bukit Merah Dam has dropped to just 12.21% of its storage capacity, or 19.80 feet, severely affecting thousands of local residents, as well as nearby agricultural and industrial activities.
I joined the NADMA Director-General, MetMalaysia, and the Royal Malaysian Air Force in deploying a C-130 military aircraft, carrying 6,000 litres of sodium chloride solution,” Zahid said.
We sprayed the solution on towering cumulus clouds at an altitude of 5,000 to 8,000 feet, and within 45 minutes, heavy rain began to fall in the target area.”
More than a temporary fix
Zahid emphasized that cloud seeding isn’t just an emergency response — it’s part of a long-term strategy to combat climate change and extreme weather events.
Bukit Merah isn’t just a domestic water source. It supports agriculture, fisheries, tourism, and flood mitigation. If left unaddressed, it could disrupt the food supply chain, rural livelihoods, and ecological balance,” he added.
Rising concerns over air quality & wildfires
He also warned that prolonged heat and drought can worsen air quality, as lack of rain prevents dust and suspended particles from being washed away.
This raises the risk of forest fires and haze, which pose serious health threats — especially to children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions.
Even in the absence of official requests from state governments, the federal government will still consider artificial rain efforts in other areas based on technical assessments, Zahid said.
If dam water levels fall below 30%, we’ll proceed with cloud seeding.”
