How Long Will the Suffocating Haze Last in Malaysia?
Malaysia has offered assistance for neighboring Indonesia in efforts to combat forest fires and subsequent haze.
Malaysia is bracing for a prolonged haze that is expected to linger until early 2027, according to Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Arthur Joseph Kurup. The prolonged dry spell, exacerbated by the El Nino phenomenon, is anticipated to strengthen into a Super El Nino phase from October 2026 to January 2027.
This extended period of dry conditions, coupled with the weak southwest monsoon, will result in lower rainfall and hotter, drier weather, increasing the risk of open fires, especially in fire-prone areas. Kurup emphasized that the current haze situation is more severe and prolonged compared to previous occurrences, which typically last only a month.
In response to the crisis, Malaysia has pledged to assist Indonesia in combating forest fires, offering aerial firefighting capabilities through helicopters, firefighting support via amphibious aircraft, and cloud seeding operations. The extent of the assistance will be determined jointly with the Indonesian government based on the specific needs and suitability of the situation on the ground.
Sarawak, a Malaysian state on Borneo's northern tip, has reported unhealthy pollution levels, with Sibu District registering an Air Pollutant Index (API) of 175 at 3:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday. Other areas in the state, such as Sri Aman and Mukah, recorded a reading of 172. The API scale ranges from zero to 50 (good), 51 to 100 (moderate), 101 to 200 (unhealthy), 201 to 300 (very unhealthy), and 301 and above (hazardous).
Written by urgent.news from Tempo.co English's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
