Why your nights have been cold lately

KOTA KINABALU, Jan 23: If you have been feeling unusually cold these nights, its due to cold Siberian winds which have sent temperatures plummeting across the State.

Keningau has recorded the lowest temperature at 17°C, even lower than Kundasang’s highland temperature of 20°C since the phenomenon began about five days ago.

According to the Meteorological Department, the current condition is one of the coldest in recent decades and is expected to continue at least through the next seven days.

It has been unusually cold even in Kota Kinabalu which has been the “warmest” in the State although it is experiencing as low as 22¡C with a maximum of 99 per cent humidity.

“The cold weather began since early this month but temperature began to drop lower since Jan 17. This is because it is currently the northeast monsoon season bringing icy cold winds from Siberia into the area,” said Meteorology Officer Woon Yung Pip, Wednesday.

“The wind also brings with it higher moisture and an average of 96 per cent humidity into Sabah,” she said. Woon added the current weather is forecast to continue until next week although it could prolong well into February.

The temperature in the city was recorded at 25¡C at 1pm on Wednesday, a 7¡C drop from its average temperature of 32¡C.

In residences across the city, it has now become the norm to leave the air conditioning switched off, as well as fans, as people get to grips with the cold, wearing flip-flops in their homes.

It has also had a telling effect on the elderly who, understandably, are more susceptible to the effects of unusually cold weather.

For the residents of Sri Pritchard Home for Old Folks, the cold weather has brought with it an added danger because older people may not be able to adjust to changes in temperature.

Caretakers at the institution are doing their best to ensure the residents are kept warm and comfortable through the nights, and days.

Nurses FS Phin and Rupinah Dani said since most of the residents are bedridden, the staff could only provide them with extra blankets and control the temperature by closing all the window shutters.

“We never needed heaters because we never experienced a weather this cold before.

Most of our residents are quite comfortable though and we do not expect any major problem other than a little complaint here and there,” they said.

The room which houses 11 elderly women has three ceiling fans to keep the residents cold and comfortable especially during warmer days.

“We are forced to keep one fan running during the day for ventilation.

To keep themselves warm, the residents would bundle up in their blankets even at noon,” said Rupinah.

An elderly woman, draping herself from head to toe, complained bitterly to the nurses about the cold and mumbled something about the fan during a routine round by the nurses.

Another bedridden woman did not mind the cold and when asked by Phin, said she was quite content with the current weather.

 

 

source: Daily Express