[TypeTeasiaDer]

Saturday October 30, 2010

Mini twister blows through Perlis town

By FLORENCE A. SAMY
newsdesk@thestar.com.my



PETALING JAYA: These two pictures captured by The Star reader Ng Hock Hoo show a mini twister sweeping through Mata Air, Jejawi, Perlis.

Roofs were blown off while signboards were uprooted and houses damaged during the incident, which took place on Thursday evening. A van was also overturned. Ng, an assistant maintenance manager in his 40s, captured the images while driving from Mata Air to his home in Arau.

“I have seen something similar before but never this close. I have also never seen this kind of damage before. “It happened just before a heavy rain and thunderstorm. The ‘twister’ started moving a few kilometres ahead of me and caused a lot of damage and a traffic jam,” he said yesterday.

A Meteorological Department forecast officer said an intense thunderstorm could create very strong winds. “There will be an up-and-down draft if there is a strong thunderstorm cell. There can be very strong winds when a thunderstorm is forming,” the officer said. However, it was not a twister or tornado since it was small with low magnitude, the officer said.

His counterpart in George Town said that it was an isolated incident, reports FONG KEE SOON. “Our radars in Butterworth and Bayan Lepas did not detect any unusual cloud formations or strong winds associated with cyclones over the last two days,” he said, adding that the department would study the video recording of the phenomenon to determine the causes.

Bernama reported that the gale damaged more than 50 houses, foodstalls and motor workshops in Jejawi, near Kangar. The van, belonging to a security firm, was at a workshop. No one was reported injured in the 6pm incident, according to Perlis Welfare Committee chairman Mansor Jusoh. Rohana Abdul Rahman, 52, said she was alone at home when she felt the house move.

“All of a sudden, the front door gave way and the roof blew off,” said Rohana, who lives with her husband and daughter Raja Raine Shasha Raja Shariman, 30, who works at Universiti Malaysia Perlis. Mansor said the gale caused damage estimated at more than RM100,000 but the actual amount was expected to be known after a welfare department census.

He said a relief centre was opened last night but the victims preferred to stay with relatives. He said Baitulmal Perlis and the Perlis Human Development Unit would help the victims repair their houses. The Yayasan Pok dan Kassim provided RM100 and rice to each of the victims.

[maxfieldj1]

Saturday October 30, 2010

Thunderstorms and strong winds expected to wreak havoc

PETALING JAYA: Several states will start to experience nature’s fury as flash floods, thunderstorms, rough seas and strong winds of up to 60kph are expected mainly over the northern part of the peninsula. In Perlis yesterday, strong winds wreaked havoc, flipping over a security van and damaging roofs of at least 50 houses in Jejawi, Kangar.



After the storm: A row of houses seen here at Taman Sri Lancang with serious damage to the roofs following the mini-tornado that hit Kampung Kubang Gajah, near Kangar, Perlis, Friday. Also affected were Kampung Pulau Jejawi, Kampung Alor Lancang and Kampung Padang. — Bernama

This weather pattern is caused by a low-pressure area currently brewing in the South China Sea near Kelantan and Terengganu. It will hit the two states today. Its effects will be felt over the next few days, especially in the coastal areas. The Meteorological Services Department has said there would be intermittent rain over Perlis, Kedah, Penang and northern Perak by Monday and this could result in flash floods over low-lying areas.