KUALA LUMPUR: Freezing and painful.
That is how a Malaysian student of Iowa State University in the United States (US) describes his experience of having to deal with subzero temperatures when the country was hit by extreme cold due to the polar vortex phenomenon.
Wan Abdul Rahman Wan Azhar, 21, a supply chain management undergraduate said he had the immediate effect of the extreme cold condition as soon as he stepped out of his rented house and walked to the nearby bus last Wednesday.
The first year student who hails from Bukit Jelutong, Selangor, said the temperature on that day was -40 degrees Celsius.
“I was rushing to catch the bus and my gloves were in my pocket. It was less than five minutes, but my hands were already freezing and painful,” he told Bernama when contacted yesterday.
Wan Abdul Rahman said on that day, the university’s management had already announced that all classes were cancelled due to extreme weather, but he still had to go to the campus as he was working part-time in the dining hall.
At least a dozen deaths were reported in several states in the US, including Chicago, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana and Illinois, due to the brutal polar vortex.
Another student of the university, Muhamad Imran Maszeri, 21, said he had to wear four layers of clothing for warmth before going out to the university and to buy daily necessities.
The software engineering undergraduate said the police had advised residents to avoid any outdoor activities as the extreme cold could cause frostbite.
“At night, I have to use a sleeping bag with a comforter to cover the whole body, and turn up the heater to 30 degrees Celsius compared to the usual 20 degrees Celsius,” said the student who hails from Bandar Kinrara, Puchong.
He added yesterday’s temperature was 6 degrees Celsius.
Muhammad Imran, however, said he was grateful that he and his five housemates did not get any health problems due to the extreme weather.
Meanwhile, Education Attaché of Education Malaysia Chicago, Siti Maisarah Roslan, 36, said the Chicago authorities had issued an early warning regarding the Polar Vortex phenomenon to allow residents to take precautionary measures.
“For safety reasons, we currently just work from home,” said the Malaysian who resided in North Chicago.
She added although the polar vortex, which has caused the temperatures to drop as low as -56 degrees Celsius in Chicago last Wednesday, had passed, the US authorities had issued a warning of the extreme changes of temperature.
Siti Maisarah said the cold weather was expected to be followed by a change of hot temperature that will bring flood threats. – Bernama
