Thunderstorms, heavy rain expected in Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan this afternoon

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 — The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has issued a thunderstorm warning for parts of Sarawak, Sabah and the Federal Territory of Labuan, with heavy rain and strong winds expected until 3pm today.

In an alert this morning, the department said the affected areas are Limbang in Sarawak and Labuan.

In Sabah, the warning covers the Interior and West Coast divisions, as well as Kudat. In the Sandakan division, it applies to Sandakan, Labuk and Sugut, Paitan and Telupid. In the Tawau division, it covers Kalabakan and Tawau.

MetMalaysia said such a warning is issued when thunderstorms with rainfall intensity exceeding 20 mm per hour are imminent or are expected to last more than an hour.

The department added that a thunderstorm warning is a short-term alert, valid for no more than six hours per issuance.