Is Butterworth safe? Malaysia travel risk
Is Butterworth safe right now? Checked 16 October 2026
Butterworth scores 31/100 on our travel risk index (Moderate). The US State Department rates Malaysia Level 1 (Exercise Normal Precautions, updated 22 Feb 2026); the UK FCDO advises against all but essential travel to parts of the country (updated 19 Mar 2026); Canada says: exercise normal security precautions (with regional advisories). No GDACS or USGS hazard events within 100 km in the last 14 days. No change in government advice in the last 7 days.
Butterworth scores 31/100 (Moderate). The score combines security, crime and scams, health and medical access, natural hazards and current alerts measured for this location and Malaysia (how it is calculated). The sections below are specific to Butterworth: nearest emergency and transport facilities, local climate normals, 5-year natural hazard history within 100 km.
Driven by: natural hazards (54/100) and security (33/100).
A score of 31 is higher than the scores of 34% of the 241 countries we cover.
Consult the Malaysia travel risk page for nationwide security advisories, entry protocols, and consular warnings.
Geographic & Regional Coordinates
Geographically located in Pulau Pinang (5.4171° N, 100.4000° E), Butterworth sits 288.5 km SSE from Kuala Lumpur at 6 m elevation.
Pulau Pinang
5.4171° N, 100.4000° E
6 m
Asia/Kuala_Lumpur
80,378
Emergency & Aviation Access
Nearby Towns & Settlements in Malaysia
Climate by Month
Hottest: February (31 °C avg high); Wettest: October (316 mm).
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °C | 30° | 31° | 31° | 31° | 31° | 31° | 31° | 31° | 30° | 29° | 30° | 29° |
| Low °C | 23° | 24° | 25° | 25° | 25° | 25° | 25° | 25° | 25° | 24° | 24° | 24° |
| Rain mm | 108 | 108 | 197 | 214 | 169 | 136 | 149 | 182 | 249 | 316 | 261 | 185 |
Normals: Seberang Jaya (3.1 km away).
Natural Hazard Calendar & History
5-Year Hazard Calendar (100 km Radius)
| Hazard | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floods | 1 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
Most flood events within 100 km of Butterworth happened in September, October and November (9 of 15 in five years).
Source: GDACS, USGS; five years to October 2026.
For consular advice on women's safety, LGBT+ travel, and local laws, see the Malaysia travel advice & laws.
Check the official entry requirements for your nationality before you travel. See the Malaysia entry requirements.
Evaluated Destinations in this Region
Request detailed assessment for Butterworth
Prioritizes this destination in our editorial evaluation pipeline.
Launch Calculator