Hygene and Sanitation in 
British Malaya, 
Climate and its- Influence on Health. 
T HE chief characteristic of the Malay climate is 
its monotony. One day is like another and 
there is little to mark the seasons. June and 
December are much the same v a case of continual 
summer. 
Owing to the proximity of large bodies of water 
the amount of vapour in the atmosphere is high. 
Clouds are prevalent and dews heavy. Often during 
the nights a thick white mist forms over the valleys 
and low lying plains. As the sun rises the mist lessens 
and at 9 o’clock all. is clear. The clear stage lasts for 
an hour or more and is succeeded by a heat haze which 
blurs detail- The sky may be clear at 9 a.m. but by 
noon white clouds have appeared about the mountain 
tops. The clouds spread and more form peripherally 
until at 4 p.m. the whole sky may be overcast and 
showers occur. Such showers are generally heavy and 
last for 10 minutes to one hour. 
The rainfall varies from 80 inches in the plains to 
160 or more at the foot of the mountains. 
The mean average shade temperature at 9 a.m. 
is 80° F., at 3 p.m. 84°F. and at 9 p.m. 78°. The 
mercury never rises to 100 degrees and except in the 
mountains' rarely falls below 70 °F. 
