The Super El Niño phenomenon could push Malaysia’s temperatures above 41 degrees Celsius between March and May next year, potentially breaking the national record of 40.1 degrees Celsius, the Meteorological Department has warned.

MetMalaysia director-general Hisham Anip said the projection was based on the current El Niño event, alongside the effects of climate change and global warming.

“If we look at current climate change trends, the rate of temperature increase in the country is approximately 0.13 degrees Celsius per decade.

“It has been nearly 30 years since 1998, when combined with the temperature spikes associated with El Niño, the increase could exceed one degree Celsius above the 40.1-degree record set back then. We anticipate that temperatures reaching 41 degrees Celsius or higher are likely to occur. That is our projection,” he said.