KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 3 -- It may be the Southwest Monsoon, a period usually associated with hotter and drier weather, but many Malaysians have found themselves reaching for umbrellas on most afternoons in recent weeks.

The seemingly contradictory weather has prompted many to wonder whether this year's monsoon is behaving unusually or whether climate change is making thunderstorms more intense.

According to Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip, neither assumption tells the full story.

He said the recent run of afternoon thunderstorms was caused by temporary changes in wind patterns and the presence of higher levels of atmospheric moisture, rather than a shift in Malaysia's seasonal weather.

"The ...