MH370 priority area search may end in August due to bad weather: JACC

Unfavorable weather conditions are having severe impact on the search of the missing Malaysian Airline flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean, which may last till August instead of June as it was previously anticipated, the Joint Agency Coordination Center for the Search of MH370 (JACC) said in its weekly report on Wednesday.

"Recent poor weather conditions have severely impacted search operations," the report said.

"It is now anticipated it may take until around August to complete the 120,000 square kilometres, but this will be influenced by weather conditions over the coming months, which may worsen."

JACC said winter weather conditions continued to bring rough seas and strong winds to the search area, severely impacting search operations.

For the three vessels conducting the underwater search, Fugro Discovery is conducting underwater search operations as weather permits. Fugro Equator departed for Fremantle on June 11, and arrived in port Wednesday to conduct resupply.

It is anticipated the vessel will depart for the return voyage to the search area Thursday. Weather conditions allowed the Dong Hai Jiu 101 to recommence underwater search operations on June 13.

In response to the latest discoveries of suspected MH370 debris in Madagascar off the east coast of Africa and Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia, the JACC report confirmed that "arrangements are being made for this debris to be examined to establish if it is related to MH370".

More than 105,000 square kilometres of the seafloor have been searched so far.

Flight MH370 disappeared on March 8, 2014 with 239 passengers and crew aboard after the flight departed Kuala Lumpur for Beijing. Endit