There were 2,496 victims from 857 families in Perak, with Kerian and Perak Tengah districts the latest to be flooded.

State officials said 24 relief centres were operational in the state.

In Kedah, the number of flood victims increased to 1,007 this evening, compared to 258 this morning. Four new relief centres were opened in the Kulim district, bringing the total to seven.

In Penang, eight relief centres have been set up to house 749 victims in Seberang Perai Utara, 121 victims in Seberang Perai Tengah, and 22 in Barat Daya district on the island.

Continuous heavy rain, combined with a high tide was identified as the primary cause of flash floods that affected several areas in Perak yesterday, including Manjung, Larut, Matang, Selama, Kerian, and Kinta.

State executive councillor Nizar Jamaluddin said the heavy rain overwhelmed the existing drainage and irrigation systems, resulting in an overflow in low-lying areas.

“The amount of rainfall recorded at several stations matched or exceeded the October monthly average, particularly at Pondok Tanjung station (244.5mm), Sungai Kurau Batu 14 (174mm), and Bukit Larut (136mm).

The average monthly rainfall for the four affected districts is estimated to be between 140mm and 190mm.

“The protracted heavy rainfall coinciding with the high tide also worsened the situation, causing flooding in several low-lying settlements,” he said in a statement today.

Nizar said the water level at the Bukit Merah dam rose to the danger level of 9.1 metres at 6am, prompting the release of water from the dam into the Kurau river.