Introduce hourly reports on haze conditions, say atmospheric experts

Atmospheric experts have urged Singapore's authorities to issue hourly air quality index reports to help Malaysians make real-time decisions to protect their health. Current reports provide a 24-hour average, which is fairly accurate but may not reflect real-time conditions.

Helena Varkkey, an associate professor at Universiti Malaya, believes that Malaysia should adopt this hourly reporting system to enable people to decide if it is safe to go outside. She also pointed out that the predicted Super El Nino season could make future haze situations more severe due to hotter and drier conditions.

M Jayaprakash, a senior principal assistant secretary at GovTech Malaysia, suggested transitioning from a reactive approach of counting hotspots to predicting impacts. He argued that people need to know when and where smoke and particles are likely to reach them to prepare better.

The atmospheric scientist emphasized that Malaysia should leverage its existing AI-based prediction capabilities, combining satellite observations, hotspot data, meteorological conditions, wind patterns, and atmospheric modeling to forecast where and when smoke will travel. The focus should now be on operationalizing this prediction system to provide timely information to the public and businesses, enabling them to prepare before pollution reaches their location.