The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has issued a warning of thunderstorms, heavy rain and strong winds affecting Sabah and Sarawak.
In a statement on Facebook, MetMalaysia said the affected areas in Sarawak include Sri Aman, Betong (Betong), Sarikei (Pakan and Julau), Sibu (Sibu and Selangau), Mukah (Tanjung Manis and Daro), Bintulu (Tatau and Bintulu), Miri (Telang Usan and Marudi) and Limbang.
In Sabah, the affected districts are the Interior (Nabawan), West Coast (Papar, Putatan, Penampang, Kota Kinabalu, Tuaran and Kota Belud), Tawau (Tawau, Kunak and Lahad Datu), and Sandakan (Kinabatangan and Sandakan).
The alert, issued at 3pm on Thursday, stated that the thunderstorms with heavy rain and strong winds are expected to last until 5pm on May 21, 2026.
MetMalaysia said the warning was issued after signs of intense thunderstorms were detected, with rainfall exceeding 20 millimetres per hour expected to persist for more than an hour.
It added that thunderstorm warnings are short-term alerts, valid for no more than six hours for each issuance.
