11 areas in Sarawak record unhealthy API

According to the website of the Department of Environment's Air Pollution Management System, 11 areas in Sarawak recorded unhealthy air quality, namely Serian, Samarahan, Kuching, Bintulu, Samalaju, Mukah, Sibu, Sarikei, Sri Aman, Miri and Miri Industrial Training Institute. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA: As many as 11 areas in Sarawak and one location in Peninsular Malaysia recorded unhealthy air pollution index (API) readings as at 7.19am today.

According to the Department of Environment's Air Pollution Management System website, Serian recorded the highest unhealthy API reading of 189, followed by Samarahan (171), Kuching (166), Bintulu (159), Samalaju (156), Mukah and Sibu (154), Sarikei (153), Sri Aman (152), Miri (137) and Miri Industrial Training Institute (116). The only area in Peninsular Malaysia which recorded unhealthy air quality with an API reading of 153 was Johan Setia in Selangor.

A total of 53 areas in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak were at a moderate level, while Jerantut in Pahang, Kangar in Perlis and Langkawi in Kedah recorded good API readings. API readings of 0 to 50 are categorised as good, 51-100 moderate, 101-200 unhealthy, 201-300 very unhealthy, 301-400 hazardous, 401-500 very hazardous and over 501 as emergency.

Last Sunday, the Meteorological Department in its significant weather forecast notice informed that hot and dry weather was expected in most areas in Borneo, including Sarawak until August 14. It said the influence of winds from the southern direction as well as the number of hotspots expected to remain high in neighbouring countries had the potential to cause transboundary haze and reduce visibility, especially in the southern part of Sarawak.

Yesterday, the Sarawak Education Department asked all schools in the state to constantly monitor API readings in their respective areas and postpone all outdoor classroom activities if the weather was too hot. For areas with API readings exceeding 100, it said all outdoor classroom activities involving pupils should be stopped.