By Boo Su-Lyn
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 — The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MET) has forecast continuous rain in major towns in Johor throughout the week.

Unrelenting rain in the southern state has forced thousands from their homes, cutting off Segamat and threatening other towns.

“Tomorrow morning, we expect isolated rain over coastal areas,” an official from MET’s Central Forecast Office told The Malaysian Insider today.

“We expect thunderstorms in the afternoon tomorrow throughout Johor,” she added.

Heavy rain is forecast in Segamat today and all of tomorrow, while thunderstorms are expected to occur in the afternoons for the rest of the week, according to the MET website.

Segamat’s first respite from the rain is expected to come only on Saturday afternoon.

Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman has said that the worst-hit areas are Segamat, Johor Baru and Kluang

Johor Baru and Batu Pahat are also expected to experience non-stop rain until Thursday.

An unbroken downpour is forecast in Kluang until Wednesday.

Thunderstorms are expected to occur in the town on Thursday afternoon while rain continues throughout the day on Friday.

Kota Tinggi is forecast to experience rain every day until Thursday night when cloudy skies are expected.

Rain is expected to continue in the afternoon on Friday and Saturday, while thunderstorms are expected on Sunday afternoon.

Another MET official told The Malaysian Insider that the heavy rain in Johor was caused by the northeast monsoon.

“The wind from the northeast monsoon, which brings heavy rain, is focused on Johor,” he said.

“The La Nina phenomenon could have added to the heavy rain, too,” added the meteorologist.

MET director-general Yap Kok Seng La Nina said last November that La Nina is expected to end in the first quarter of 2011.

The last time La Nina hit Malaysia in 2007-2008, oil palm-growing states of Pahang and Johor on the mainland experienced floods that created a scramble for palm oil supplies, pushing prices to a record of RM4,486 in March 2008.

Over 37,000 people have been evacuated so far in Johor, with 16 villages in Segamat inundated by as much as one metre of water. Two deaths have been reported so far.

According to locals in the Segamat area, the situation appears worse than the floods that hit Johor in December 2006 and January 2007.

The 2006/2007 floods had claimed at least six lives and caused over 60,000 people to be rescued as the southern state experienced water and electricity cuts, an increase of water-borne disease as well as looting after floodwaters receded. Economic losses from the flood then was estimated at over RM1 billion.