There is no evidence that toxic volcanic ash from Indonesia has crossed into Malaysian airspace following the recent eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau, according to the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia).
MetMalaysia director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip said current monitoring showed volcanic ash, including from the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau, was moving towards the Indian Ocean, northwest of Sumatra, rather than towards Malaysia.
“The eruption of a volcano or an earthquake and the El Nino phenomenon affecting the country are two different things and have no direct connection. They happened during the same period, so some parties assumed that they were related.
“Monitoring results show that the ash is moving towards open waters and not towards the peninsula, Sabah or Sarawak. I urge the public, especially cyber warriors, to stop spreading unverified information to avoid causing panic,” he said.
He was speaking as a guest on Bernama Radio’s Fokus 30 programme titled “Super El Nino: Kesan Kepada Negara” here today.
The clarification follows claims circulating on social media that sulphur dioxide had entered Malaysian airspace following the latest eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau. Some posts featured atmospheric model images in red and orange and urged the public to wear face masks.
Mount Anak Krakatau, located in the Sunda Strait, experienced continuous eruptive activity for about 25 hours from 11.07pm on Sept 4 until 12.04am on Sept 6.
Meanwhile, Mohd Hisham said Malaysia was currently experiencing a normal El Nino phase, which was gradually shifting from weak to moderate and strong levels before potentially reaching a “very strong” or Super El Nino phase.
He said Super El Nino was expected to affect the country towards the end of the Northeast Monsoon, around March and April next year, particularly in the northern states of Peninsular Malaysia.
