Pekanbaru Haze Cuts Visibility to 2 Kilometers as Air Quality Turns Hazardous
BMKG reports hazardous air quality in Pekanbaru as haze cuts visibility to 2 kilometers, with PM2.5 peaking at 508.8 micrograms per cubic meter.
On Tuesday, August 24, 2026, the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) in Pekanbaru reported that the city is enveloped in haze, severely reducing visibility to approximately 2 kilometers and causing hazardous air quality. Forecaster Ranti Kurniati confirmed that these visibility figures were recorded since 16:00 WIB on Monday, August 24. While visibility was at 2 km in Pekanbaru City and Rengat, Pelalawan recorded 5 km and Tambang 3 km, both experiencing haze.
The haze has pushed the air quality in Pekanbaru City, measured by PM2.5 levels, into the hazardous range. At 01:00 WIB on Tuesday, the reading peaked at 508.8 micrograms per cubic meter. Across Sumatra, a total of 2,193 hotspots were detected on Monday. South Sumatra led with 1,207 hotspots, followed by Riau Province with 393. The remainder were spread across Jambi, Lampung, Bangka Belitung, Riau Islands, Bengkulu, North Sumatra, West Sumatra, and Aceh.
In Riau Province, the most hotspots were found in Pelalawan Regency, with 153, followed by Indragiri Hilir Regency with 140. Other areas affected include Bengkalis, Indragiri Hulu, Kampar, Siak, Rokan Hulu, Meranti Islands, Pekanbaru City, and Kuantan Singingi. Forest and land fires continue to burn in Riau Province, with the largest blaze in Pelalawan Regency covering 700 hectares. Other regions like Indragiri Hulu, Indragiri Hilir, and Kampar also saw fires affecting tens of hectares.
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