KOTA BARU: Villagers in Kampung Pantai Kundur here experienced the first round of effects from the high tide, which is occurring after heavy rains lashed several remote parts of Kelantan yesterday.
The flood due to the high tide reached some parts of the village at about 7pm, and it was about 0.5m deep, said housewife Hamidah Yusuf.
However, the 53-year-old mother of three said her house was not inundated.
"The heavy rain in Jeli and Gua Musang since yesterday morning, and the high tide caused flooding in our village last night.
"Though the water did not reach our homes, we are still worried that it may soon happen. It could occur, especially if heavy rain in those two districts continue today," she said.
Another villager Norhidayah Kasimin, 38, said this was the first time the high tide occurred in the village during the rainy season.
"The Kelantan Meteorology Department has predicted that flood will hit the state beginning tomorrow.
"Therefore villagers especially those living near the sea may face the high tide, and we will have to take extra precautions," said the mother of four.
She added there were about 200 houses in the village, including 20 which were located along the coast.
In a recent statement, the Meteorological Department said that the annual monsoon season in the country is expected to start tomorrow and would end in March next year.
It said that during the season, four to six episodes of significant heavy rain periods were expected to occur.
During the early phase of the monsoon from this month to December, episodes of heavy rain are expected to take place in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang while from January next year, episodes of heavy rain are forecast to concentrate in Pahang, Johor, Sabah and Sarawak.
The second phase of the monsoon will start at the end of January next year. The weather is expected to be quite dry in Kedah, Penang, Perlis and Kelantan.
It also said that during the season, continuous heavy rain for several days may cause the occurrence of floods at low-lying and flood-prone areas.