More than 30 dead as floods wreak havoc in Malaysia and southern Thailand

Severe floods caused by monsoon rains have killed more than 30 people and displaced tens of thousands in Malaysia and southern Thailand (Vincent Thian/AP)

Severe floods caused by monsoon rains have killed more than 30 people and displaced tens of thousands in Malaysia and southern Thailand, officials said on Tuesday, with both countries preparing shelters and evacuation plans in anticipation of more heavy rain.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said five days of heavier-than-expected rain that battered the country’s east coast last week was equal to the rainfall over the past six months, wreaking havoc in the north-eastern state of Kelantan and neighbouring Terengganu.