Hundreds of people have been evacuated after floods hit northern states, disrupting preparations for the Muslim Aidil Fitri festival, officials said today.

The worst-hit Kedah had three of its 11 districts affected by floods, an official with the state's flood control operations room said.

Some 600 hundred people have been evacuated since flooding started early Saturday, although some were now returning to their homes, he said.

"At this moment, we have about 250 still at the evacuation centres," he told AFP , saying the figure could rise again with further rains.

Flood victims have suffered "certain damage to things inside their house and maybe their preparations for the festive season could be affected," he said.

The floods coincided with the Hindu festival of Deepavali at the weekend and look set to continue on Tuesday, when Muslims will mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Water levels reached 0.5 and 1.5 metres in parts of Kedah, and the flooding also hit the states of Perlis and Penang over the past three days, according to the state Bernama news agency.

Minister for Women, Family and Community Development, Sharizat Abdul Jalil, has directed local authorities to prepare for worsening conditions, Bernama reported.