MetMalaysia denies claims of volcanic ash in Malaysian airspace

The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has debunked viral social media claims suggesting that toxic volcanic ash from Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau has entered Malaysian airspace.

Director-general Dr Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip stated that current monitoring indicates the volcanic ash is moving toward the Indian Ocean northwest of Sumatra and toward open waters, rather than toward the Malaysian peninsula, Sabah, or Sarawak. He noted that the volcano is being closely monitored by an international center in Darwin, Australia.

Dr Mohd Hisham also clarified that the volcanic eruption and the ongoing El Niño phenomenon are unrelated events that simply occurred during the same period. Regarding weather, he noted that Malaysia is currently in a normal El Niño phase, which may develop into a ‘Super El Niño’ phase toward the end of the Northeast Monsoon, around March or April next year.