Kualiti udara merosot, Serian catat IPU bahaya

Malaysia's air quality deteriorated today as monitoring stations recorded hazardous air pollution levels in Serian, Sarawak, according to the Department of Environment. Of 59 areas monitored, 14 experienced unhealthy air quality, 45 had moderate levels, and three were found to be good. The four areas in Sarawak deemed "very unhealthy" are Kuching (IPU 285), Sri Aman (275), Samarahan (274), and Sarikei (206). In total, 14 areas recorded unhealthy air quality, 45 had simple conditions, and three were rated as good.

The situation in Sarawak, Sabah, and Labuan saw several areas record hazardous, very unhealthy, or severe air quality conditions, influenced by the movement of haze from various directions. According to the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) report on September 2, satellite imagery from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 20 showed 795 hotspots in Kalimantan, 144 in Sumatera, and three hotspots within Malaysia, all in Sarawak.

ASMC's Serayu haze map on the same date indicated a widespread buildup of hotspots across Kalimantan and Sumatera, extending towards the northern Borneo and southern Philippines. Azuri Azizah, Deputy Director (Development) of the Department of Environment, explained that the spread of moderate to thick haze was also attributed to multiple hotspot clusters in various parts of Kalimantan and central and southern Sumatera.

With the increasing activity of hotspot clusters and the expanding haze situation in the ASEAN South region, the ASEAN Secretariat activated Level 3 Haze Alert starting August 27, in line with the ASEAN Ministerial Agreement on Haze.