General : Haze: 10 Areas In Four States Record Unhealthy API Readings This Morning

Haze has engulfed four states, prompting unhealthy air quality warnings, with Sarawak bearing the brunt. The city of Serian recorded the highest Air Pollutant Index (API) reading of 188 this morning, indicating the most severe air pollution. Kuching followed with an API reading of 175, while Samarahan, Sri Aman, and Bintulu reported API levels of 169, 158, and 108 respectively.

The deteriorating air quality was also observed in Selangor, where Johan Setia and Kuala Selangor recorded API readings of 161 and 128 respectively. In Kedah, Sungai Petani and Alor Setar logged API levels of 155 and 145. All nine affected areas are now classified under the unhealthy category, posing significant health risks, especially for vulnerable and sensitive groups.

Across the rest of the country, 58 areas reported moderate air quality, with no stations recording good, very unhealthy, or hazardous levels as of 8am. The Department of Environment continues to monitor the air quality through 68 nationwide monitoring stations to detect any significant changes that may impact public health and the environment.

The API readings, updated hourly, are crucial in tracking the evolving air quality situation. According to Malaysia's API classification, readings ranging from 0 to 50 are considered good, 51 to 100 as moderate, 101 to 200 as unhealthy, 201 to 300 as very unhealthy, and 301 and above as hazardous.