Breathe easy? Not today as Sarawak chokes and Selangor, Perak and Kedah cough

Malaysia is currently grappling with a haze problem, with Sarawak bearing the brunt of the smog as of 9am today, according to the Malaysian Air Pollution Index Management System. Seven locations across the country were recorded in the unhealthy range on the Air Pollutant Index (API), with Serian in Sarawak recording the highest reading of 194, just six points away from the very unhealthy threshold.

Kuching and Sri Aman in Sarawak followed with API readings of 183 and 177, respectively. In the peninsular region, Johan Setia in Selangor led with an API of 157, while Sungai Petani in Kedah and Taiping in Perak recorded API readings of 140 and 121, respectively. The Department of Environment is monitoring air quality through 68 stations nationwide, with readings updated hourly.

The haze is attributed to clusters of hotspots in West and South Kalimantan and Sumatra, with moderate to dense smoke plumes observed and prevailing winds blowing from the southeast. Despite the current readings not breaching the very unhealthy mark, individuals in affected areas are advised to limit outdoor activities and wear masks when outside.

Brief written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.