JOHOR BARU: There is a potential for flash floods to occur throughout Johor following the monsoon transition phase that is expected to continue until May.

       However, the Johor Civil Defence Force (APM) said in a statement that the situation would not be as critical as during the northeast monsoon season.

       "The Johor APM is prepared to deal with any eventualities, with over 700 personnel members and logistics, including four-wheel drive vehicles, rescue boats and ambulance, ready to be mobilised since the Northeast Monsoon began in early January,” the APM said.

       As such, it advised residents to heed warnings by the authorities and to evacuate their homes if the flood situation in their areas worsened.

       "Don’t ever try to drive through inundated roads because there is a high risk that your vehicle could be swept away and you could end up being trapped.

       "Residents are also advised to always take note of the daily weather forecast so that they can make further preparations,” it added.

       The APM also reminded the public not to forget to take along important documents, such as identity cards and birth certificates.

       On Friday (March 11), Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said the country would experience a transitional phase of the monsoon beginning Monday (March 14) until mid-May, thus marking the end of the northeast monsoon that began on Nov 3 last year.- Bernama