PADANG BESAR, March 24 — The searing heat in Chuping, Perlis has locals staying home and avoiding the midday sun, choosing to go out only for the essentials instead of visiting each others’ homes for open house parties this festive season.

With temperatures rising to 40°Celsius, celebrations this Raya Puasa are hitting residents hard, Berita Harian reported today.

Housewife Nur Hafsah Awalluddin, 39, said the extreme weather forced her to take extra care for her children.

“I don’t let my children play outside at midday; we wait until the evening when it’s cooler. I also make sure they drink plenty of water.

“If we visit relatives for Raya, we only go out in the morning or evening, and rest at home during the midday heat,” she was quoted as saying.

For Zulkifli Yaakob, 55, from Felda Chuping, the unusual heat has shifted his festive visiting to late afternoons and evenings.

“This year’s Aidilfitri celebrations in this hot weather have made us stay home a lot because we can’t tolerate the heat.

“Even if we go out, it’s only for important matters, like going to the shop or market in the morning, while visiting family is reserved for the cooler evening hours,” he said.

The sweltering conditions, however, have been a boon for road-side drink vendors like Mohd Farhan Zulkifley, 25, who said sales were higher than usual.

“Drinks sell well – motorists passing through Chuping-Padang Besar stop to buy two to three packs each, and usually we’re sold out by the afternoon.

“I’ve been selling here for 11 years, and this hot season I consider still ‘manageable’, so I can handle selling by the roadside for four to five hours,” he was quoted as saying.

Coconut water seller Mohd Shahrizal Saidin, 45, echoed the sentiment, saying his sales have been strong this season.

“This hot weather started after the big floods in Perlis last December. Since the floods, the weather has been hot until now.

“My coconut water sells well every day, especially as many people return to their villages to celebrate Aidilfitri,” he told the newspaper.

Chuping remains one of Malaysia’s hottest spots, having recorded 40.1 degrees Celsius on April 9, 1998, and the heat continues to shape how locals celebrate Raya.