13 hotspots detected in Malaysia as Indonesian fires worsen haze
KUALA LUMPUR: Thirteen hotspots were detected across Malaysia on Aug 29, as nearly 1,200 hotspots burned in Kalimantan and smoke from Indonesian fires continued to worsen haze conditions across the region.
On August 29, Malaysia detected 13 hotspots, amid an alarming 1,180 hotspots burning in Kalimantan, Indonesia. The haze from these Indonesian fires exacerbated the region's already poor air quality. Deputy Director-General (Development) Azuri Azizah Saedon of the Department of Environment (DOE) Malaysia reported the data from the NOAA-20 satellite, analyzed by the Asean Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) in Singapore.
The ASMC's regional haze map for August 29 revealed dry conditions across most of the southern Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region, except northern Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia, which experienced some rainfall. The 13 Malaysian hotspots were found in Perak (two), Sabah (two), and Sarawak (nine). The Indonesian hotspots were concentrated in Kalimantan, with isolated ones in Sulawesi, southern and central Sumatra, central Sarawak, and East Java.
Moderately to densely thick haze was observed in West Kalimantan, moving north into western Sarawak, and in widespread areas of Kalimantan, central Sarawak, and central and southern Sumatra. The ASMC Secretariat raised Alert Level 3 for southern Asean on August 27 due to the rising hotspot activity and deteriorating haze. As of 8:18 am, air quality across Malaysia worsened significantly, with the Air Pollutant Index Management System (APIMS) displaying Sarawak as the worst-affected state.
Of the 68 monitored stations nationwide, none recorded good air quality, with 47 reporting moderate conditions and 20 experiencing unhealthy to hazardous levels.
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